


Spectrians

by ImaginationMadeManifest



Category: Spectrobes
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Mineral digging, Near Death, Other, Planet Hopping, Space traveling, We have it all folks!, Will get dark at times, but when does it not with krux around?, krawl fighting, takes place post Origins storyline so spoilers for all three games
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-09-03
Packaged: 2019-06-20 06:18:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 33,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15527973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImaginationMadeManifest/pseuds/ImaginationMadeManifest
Summary: "They're quite interesting, works of fiction. A way one's wildest dreams can be caught and shared with other like-minded individuals. But be careful, as crazy as some tales seem, they may just be truth in disguise."Stranded in a star system far away from Earth and thrown into a conflict thousands of years old, Sarah discovers how terrifying life can become when fiction is actually fact.Joining forces with NPP officers Rallen and Jeena, she must work with them to defend the galaxy from the krawl threat while uncovering the secrets of the Spectrians and trying to find a way back home."What are you waiting for? Adventure awaits! Let's do this, Honki de Iku ze!!"





	1. The Encounter

                                                   

 

“Sarah, don’t forget to take out the trash before it gets dark outside; the garbage men come tomorrow!”

“Alright mom, I’m coming!”

Sluggishly rising from her moon chair, Sarah took a moment to stretch. Summer break from college had just begun, but it had only taken a few days to slip back into old routines. Taking an afternoon to relax had been nice, and she would choose household chores over college exams any day.

_“Thank goodness those are over with. Look out summer, whether I choose to be lazy or not, here I come!”_

Bounding down the stairs two at a time, Sarah almost ran into her younger sister Natalie, who had just returned from walking the dog.

“Hey sis, now that you’re officially free from dog-duty, how would you like the honor of playing the Wii with me this evening?”

Natalie rolled her eyes as Sarah dramatically bowed in front of her.

“Sure that sounds good. You want to play the new Kirby game I got? I haven’t had time to try it and Kirby’s more fun with two anyways.”

“But!” She suddenly added as Sarah opened her mouth, “I have to work on my homework so mom doesn’t get upset. I can probably finish it all by eight.”

“That isn’t too long from now, so I guess that’s fine.” Sarah sighed as Natalie began walking upstairs. “I wish your classes ended at the same time as mine.”

“Not much I can do about that sis. It’s six-thirty right now so I won’t be _that_ long. I’m sure you can fill your time with something useful, but it’s you so...”

“Oh hush.” Turning to look at the top of the stairs, Sarah’s frown turned mischievous. “I should be the one saying that to you! Don’t mess around, because you know I’ll hold you to eight o’ clock!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Natalie grinned, disappearing from view.

Passing through the living room, Sarah ran through her mental checklist. Most of the chores had been completed in the afternoon, so the only tasks were the giant laundry pile from college and taking out the trash.

Inwardly groaning, Sarah entered the laundry room to begin the first load. Thankfully she had thought ahead and organized the dirty clothes before packing them. Once the machine was running, it only took a few minutes to gather all the trash bags in the house. Opening the garage door, Sarah was greeted with a sickly purple-gray sky covered in angry, looming clouds instead of a typical sunset.

“ _That’s strange; there was no forecast for storms this week, and the sun was out when Natalie came back..._ ”

Shifting her eyes back and forth, Sarah walked to the trash can. Something was wrong and it wasn’t just the weather. The air was thick and humid as it always was this time of year, but she felt like there was some sort of presence, as if hundreds of eyes were watching her every move.

Quickly tossing in the bags and rolling the bin to the street corner, Sarah began walking back down the driveway, cringing as her paranoia seemed to increase with every step.

“ _You are being absolutely ridiculous Sarah! There is no one out here. You can see down the street and around the surrounding houses. The driveway isn’t even that long! …So then why am I reaching for my pepper spray?”_

Audibly sighing with relief once she reached the garage, she continued to chide herself. “ _See? You’re fine, just psyching yourself out over nothing. No one is here; it’s just the weird weather. This feeling is probably nothing_.”

Engrossed in her thoughts, she failed to notice the bushes surrounding the porch slightly rustle in response to her passing as she returned inside.

\---------------------------------------------------------------

The remaining time passed rapidly as Sarah unpacked a few more boxes from college and finished the laundry. True to her word, when the clock chimed eight o’ clock, she ran towards the steps to check on her sister. Turning the final corner she almost slid into her awaiting mother.

“And just WHAT have you been doing for the past hour and a half?” her mother demanded.

“Um, I did my laundry and unpacked?” Sarah responded warily, unsure how to answer correctly.

“I thought I told you to go and take out the trash this evening! Look at the time; it’s already dark out.”

“But I did take out the trash, almost immediately after you asked me to.”

“Then why is the kitchen trash still overflowing?”

Turning around, she saw that the trash can was indeed still full.

“ _Crap!_ _How on earth did I miss taking out the largest bag? I hope this doesn’t put me on thin ice for the rest of the night!_ ”

Looking back at her mom’s unamused expression, Sarah rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “I’m sorry mom; I don’t know how I missed that one. Don’t worry; I’ll take care of it right now!”

Before another word could be spoken, Sarah tied up the bag and rushed to the front door. Adding another smile for good measure, she slipped into the night.

The sky was completely black; the moon and stars offering no assistance as she walked towards the curb. The only light available was the one working streetlamp a few yards away by the neighbor’s house. Her smile vanished at the trash bin, as the forgotten feeling from earlier suddenly resurfaced.

Tossing the bag with the others, Sarah barely shut the lid before an abrupt hiss of air sounded directly behind her. Startled, she whirled around, bringing her face to face with a dark silhouette that was definitely not human. A little taller than her, it had a hunched over appearance with two tentacle arms the length of its singular body and a round head currently (staring?) at her.  

Time slowed as Sarah attempted to assess the situation without panicking. There was no way what was standing in front of her was a Swar, a _video game character_ , but no other explanation was currently coming to mind. No way could she best it in a fight; it was a krawl for goodness sake! The only intelligent option would be running or finding some way to distract it, but then still running after. Figuring out how on earth it existed…. well, that would have to come later.

“ _It’s not making any sudden movements, ignoring its constant swaying. While I’m not ungrateful, why isn’t it attacking anything?_ ”

Sarah quickly regretted that train of thought as the Swar abruptly threw both arms backwards and whipped them simultaneously towards her from different angles.

Ducking allowed her to dodge the right arm but not the left, and the impact sent her flying a few feet onto the concrete road. Spots blurred her vision along with a stabbing pain in her chest as Sarah attempted to recover from the blow, but not fast enough.

In the time it took her to regain some form of clarity, the krawl had slid over to her position and was preparing another strike. Realizing there was no way to avoid the attack; Sarah curled inwards in an attempt to protect herself. Hearing the whoosh of the arms lifting into the air, she closed her eyes and braced for the impact...

“STOP!”

A deep voice cut through the night startling both parties. Afraid to move, Sarah peeked through her arms to see the Swar had halted its attack and slid slightly away.

“ _Wait; What?”_

Groaning as she staggered to a standing position, Sarah looked up and immediately regretted it. Instead of one Swar, there were now at least a dozen krawl of different types surrounding her in a semi-circle with a shadow-covered silhouette at its peak.

“ _No way…it couldn’t be…”_

Pure shock and disbelief flowed through Sarah, freezing her in place. Krux, the leader of the Krawl and a true terror on his own was standing mere feet away from her. This had to be a concussion-induced dream; video game villains don’t just appear in neighborhood cul-de-sacs.  

Taking a small step back, the name fell out of her mouth before she could stop it, “Krux?” The lines covering the mask flashed and began to glow a deep orange, the only light in the inky darkness. No words were spoken, but the implication was clear.

“ _I am very screwed,_ ” Sarah thought, eyes darting around the street for any escape options. The shadows covering Krux began to surround the group, reducing visibility, but Sarah noticed a slight gap between the krawl that first attacked her and another.

“ _If I can just get inside, I would be safe for a little; at least it would buy me enough time to call for help. But could the police really do anything_?”

Careful not to betray her true intentions, Sarah changed positions, as if she was looking at all of the krawl around her, which in fact, she was, quite nervously. Then, as fast as her injured body could muster, Sarah sprinted towards the opening.

Before she could run more than a few steps, Sarah’s legs erupted in pain, allowing her to kiss the concrete once more. Hissing in discomfort from the newest scrapes, she glanced back to see four miniature maroon spikes wedged deep into her calves.

“Now I can’t have that, can I?” Krux said as the flower-covered krawl blanketed her in a thick covering of its spores.  

Sarah’s eyelids begin to droop as it gradually became harder and harder to stay awake. To her left, a portal began to open with her now immobilized body being dragged closer and closer to it. With the last of her strength before losing consciousness she whispered, “Someone, anyone, please….help.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello fellow Spectrobes fans or curious bypassers!
> 
> Spectrobes is one of my favorite fandoms ever and I have been planning this story since 2012. (That's like forever ago).
> 
> The story will be following the adventures of the main protagonist Sarah in the Spectrobes universe. (Sorry this is basically all of Earth that you will see for now). I hope everyone enjoys the story as much as I did coming up with it!!
> 
> I want this to be an immersive experience, so if you have any questions about anything, please ask them! I will put this warning down right now though so everyone listen up! This story will contain SPOILERS about all three Spectrobes games and will contain multiple references!!! If you don't understand something look it up or just ask; I read all my comments.
> 
> See you next chapter :)


	2. Here We Go Again

                                                   

“Coming through everyone!”

“Rup Rup!”

Dodging legs back and forth, Ryza howled in excitement as she happily ran next to her Spectrobe master down the halls of the NPP headquarters.

“C’mon Jeena, keep up!” Rallen yelled as he entered the next doorway, almost crashing into another group of officers.

“Sorry!” Jenna exclaimed as she dashed by the recovering officers. “Rallen! Will you please slow down! It’s just a briefing, not a planet-ending emergency!”

Rallen glanced back, grinning. “How can you not be excited Jeena? There hasn’t been any major activity in months!”

“How is that a bad thing? You’ve had plenty of time to train and raise the newest fossil group into great fighters and we both have had time to improve our weapons skills. That’s not even mentioning the strides the scientists have made in Spectrobe research!”

“Yeah that’s true Jeena, but all things considered, don’t you think it has been a little too quiet?”

Rallen slowed as he approached the large double doors to Commander Grant’s personal office. “We’re here.”

“Oh thank goodness,” Jeena gasped as Rallen pushed the doors open. Inside, a group of officials could be heard discussing economics, travel, and overall planetary protection to the Commander. Noticing the pair’s appearance, Grant stood up from his desk, halting the current conversation.

“Thank you everyone, you are dismissed for now. Harry, meet me later this evening to speak on the rest of your findings and to discuss the probabilities of other issues arising. Rallen, Jeena, please stand by the map board, I’ll be with you momentarily.”

Once the final officer shut the doors, the Commander’s smile was replaced with a thin, grim line. Jeena mirrored the expression with concern.

“Commander, what’s the matter? Have the sand typhoons occurring in Nessa’s southern hemisphere worsened?”

Grant sighed. “I wish I could say that was why I called you here, but unfortunately that’s not the case. I did not want to raise any alarms, and until all the facts are known, what I am about to say to you will not leave this room since we are classifying it as Level Five.”

Waving his hand over the screen controls, a group of photos originating from different areas of the Nanairo system zoomed in on the main screen.

“In these specific sectors, spacial anomalies occurred that were high enough scale-wise to catch our attention.”

“But there are minor and major disruptions in space all the time Commander,” Jeena interjected. “What made these so special?”

“Yes, while we would normally ignore such events; the measurements recorded by our computers were too similar to the distortion wavelengths of the four portals located in our system. The most recent one was yesterday. The security satellite near the Fubuki system portal was close enough to take a photo since the distortion was in range but...”

The young officers could only stare in disbelief at the screen. In crisp, clean quality was the image of multiple krawl vortexes traveling out of a distorted-looking purple tear into the Fubuki portal.

Jeena was the first to break the silence.

“This makes no sense! Without a leader, the krawl should have no motivation besides what their nature dictates. They should be aimlessly traveling through space and attacking whatever enters their vision! No krawl besides Krux had the power to open and shut portals, and he isn’t even fully krawl!”

“You are correct Jeena; they would do that if there was no leader.”

Grant turned back to the control panel, pushing a button that opened sets of charts and graphs next to the image.

“Once this scan was taken, I decided to look back at the recordings of all major anomalies since we returned from Wyterra last year. None of the abnormalities had any relation to each other until this past month when, after close scrutinization, I discovered that the anomalies were well masked, near identical, temporary portals that contained traces of krawl and ice particles from the Kaio system.”

“But…this isn’t possible...” Jeena took a step backwards, placing a hand on her forehead. “Krux is _dead_ ; Rallen defeated him along with the Spectrobes on the Krawlosphere. We even watched the entire thing blow into millions of tiny pieces!”

“I’m not surprised.”

Jeena turned to look at Rallen, shocked.

“When I delivered the final blow, we both saw him fall into the core that he created. Even though the ultimate form destroyed the Krawlosphere, Krux could have used such a large concentration of krawl material to recover his strength and flee before it froze over. It’s not like I attacked the core with the Geo right after the battle; it took me time to get to it. And we’ve seen what he can do with immense power.”

“The much more logical theory we ALL agreed on was that such a high concentration of krawl and the heat of the core caused the immediate vaporization of Krux!” Jeena retorted while walking to the screen. “The fact that the portals contain traces of ice and krawl just means that there are more and more unstable portals to the Kaio system opening up that, granted, close very quickly and…and…”

“I can’t believe I’m the one saying this! Jeena, look at the facts!”

Rallen’s voice echoed throughout the room causing everyone to jump slightly. Cringing, he sighed and continued.

“Yeah it could just be space dust but then who is controlling the krawl? Like you said earlier, when krawl are let loose they act like a giant wave, destroying everything in their path and then just continue on! If there were this many undetected krawl vortexes then someone had to ensure they were not noticed and stayed on course. That is not even mentioning the portal data! I don’t understand the advanced science behind it like you, but I know enough that I highly doubt it’s possible for that many portals to have the exact same composition and yet still be random.”

“Now who do we know who is crazy enough to mess with krawl and can create portals?”

Rallen paused, a variety of emotions flashing across his face before settling on frustration. “…Krux.”

A sense of unease filled the room as the full weight of the situation became apparent. No one moved; each lost in their own thoughts, unsure of what to say next.

“…Commander,” Jeena said hesitantly, breaking the silence. “The archived scans you analyzed, you said they all had the same basic composition right?”

“Correct. I ran the numbers through our program multiple times; there is no chance the portals were random, natural occurrences.”

“And the portal from yesterday; the data says it was made of the same material as the others?”

“Yes… Jeena what are you getting at?”

“Well…” Jeena mused, walking towards the screen, “We have no photo evidence from the previous portals; only numerical data. If there are that many krawl coming out of the portal from yesterday and we believe that someone is controlling them, this could mean that large groups of krawl have been smuggled under our noses this entire time!”

Rallen furrowed his brow and began pacing back and forth.

“If that is the case, then why haven’t we been attacked? Assuming Krux is behind this, I would think we would have seen some form of destruction. Instead, they’re doing what? Using us as a way to reach the other systems again? Wait...”

Jeena’s eyes widened. “Commander, we never sent krawl detection probes to the systems we’re connected to through the portals; they only orbit _our_ planets. What if there are no planets left! There is still so much research needed on them, not to mention their habitability.”

“Jeena, forget the research,” Rallen interjected, “They could be amassing a force; one large enough that the Spectrobes and I couldn’t fight off fast enough.”

“That’s enough you two,” Commander Grant spoke firmly. “Wildly theorizing will do us no good. Now that we know a threat is present a plan must be formed. For the first time with the krawl we have an advantage: they do not realize we have seen them. Considering none of our planets have been attacked and the Kaio system has not sent an S.O.S, the general populace will not be made aware yet.”

“This evening I am holding an emergency NPP meeting with top officers and leaders from each planet in our system. Considering your experience and rank, I want you two to lead the discussion along with Aldous and myself. This is your current assignment; are you clear on your duties?”

Rallen and Jeena saluted. “Yes Sir!”

“Good.” The Commander smiled. “Then let’s prepare for tonight.”

Walking towards the Commander’s desk, the room unexpectedly began to flash red as an alarm blared and alerts covered every screen.

“COMMANDER!” Rallen yelled as he jumped into a defensive position, activating his blaster. “WHAT’S GOING ON?! ARE WE UNDER ATTACK?”

“NO! THAT…” Grant shouted as he ran over to his desk and flicked a switch to silence the room, “is a warning signal from one of the security scanners. After yesterday, I sent four into space within the vicinity of the portal locations in case the krawl, or anything else for that matter, tried to travel through any of them. It could be a false alarm but let’s see…” Leaning over, Grant typed in a few commands and multiple screens focused on the Fubuki system portal scanner.

“The Fubuki portal? Again? Let me activate the live footage…”

Ryza growled as the live image feed popped up. Heat signatures of multiple krawl filled the scanner’s lens with a seemingly endless path.

“I…I don’t believe it. There are at least one hundred, no two hundred krawl!” Rallen exclaimed. “But they aren’t coming from the Fubuki portal. Just like the images from yesterday, they are exiting from a separate portal!”

“This is the perfect opportunity then!”

Eyes glittering, Jeena whirled around to face the Commander. “Does the scanner have the capabilities to glide closer to the portal and analyze the rift data?”

“Yes, but the scanner is already dangerously close to the krawl. Any closer and it might catch their attention and we could lose any upper hand we have; not to mention the scanner!”

Ryza began to whimper and pawed at Rallen’s leg with concern as they stared at the screen.

“Uhhh, Guys?”

“With all due respect Commander, the most accurate data and best estimation for location focal points is with a direct scan of an open portal or the surrounding spot immediately after it closes. If we scan the rift now we could possibly discover where all the krawl are coming from!”

“Guys?”

“It’s not worth the risk Jeena. Not with so many krawl present at one time.”

“GUYS!”

“WHAT RALLEN?” Jeena and the Commander simultaneously replied.

Rallen pointed to the screen, “Look at that.”

Turning, the debate was immediately forgotten.

Exiting the portal was a giant metal pod, very similar to the escape pod Rallen and Jeena found Aldous in on Daichi, minus a viewport. The size was difficult to ascertain due to the distance, but it appeared small, and in no way capable of functioning on its own. To their surprise, the pod was not held by the krawl vortexes surrounding the unit, but pushed forward by a deep purple mist that ebbed and flowed around the outside shell.

Once the pod was a safe distance from the rift, it paused, allowing the mist to stretch back towards the opening. With a small crackle of purple electricity, the portal vanished, and the remaining krawl disappeared into the Fubuki portal.

No one moved as they stared at the empty space, waiting to see if anything else would occur. When nothing did, they looked at each other, attempting to come up with an explanation of what was witnessed. For Ryza, as soon as the rift closed, she began to pace impatiently back and forth. Unwilling to wait to be noticed, Ryza rammed Rallen’s leg, nearly causing him to fall over.

“Ryza, what are you doing?” Rallen exclaimed as she dashed over to the door and began to paw at it, looking back to the screen, then the group expectantly.

Rallen nodded his head at her and turned to the Grant.

“Commander, I know that the risks are high, but I think we need to pursue the krawl right now.”

Grant opened his mouth to protest but Rallen quickly added, “And before you defend why it’s a bad idea look at Ryza. She reacted negatively to the krawl images and the ones on the live feed, but when that pod emerged, she immediately became concerned and upset. As my partners, I trust the Spectrobes’ instincts. Besides, the presence of that pod is strange since the krawl have never used anything in the past besides brute force.”

Commander Grant turned to face the map, and furrowed his brow, weighing his options. This was short-lived however, as Ryza now came up to him and began to pull at the bottom of his uniform coat.

Bending down, Grant stared at the child form as she rose up and put her two front paws on his knee. Although he had been around Spectrobes for a good portion of his life since he had known three masters, they were still a mystery to him. This wasn’t completely surprising though; he did not have the same type of bond Rallen had as a Spectrobe master.

“ _What can you sense that we were unable to see_?”

The two maintained eye contact for a moment longer before Ryza nodded her head and trotted over to Rallen. Giving a satisfied yip, she dematerialized into the prizmod as Grant stood and faced Rallen and Jeena.

“I will agree to this endeavor. However, there are conditions that you _must_ follow. The krawl just entered the Fubuki portal so to ensure maximum stealth and safety, you won’t pursue them for twenty-four hours. While I understand this means they might no longer be present in that system, I will not risk your lives on a hunch, even if it’s the Spectrobes that gave it.”

Typing a few commands into his computer, Grant looked to Jenna.

“Until then, you have permission to access and fly the NPP’s scientist’s cruiser, as it has the best technology for scanning any data the rift may have left behind. You both can leave to complete that task once we finish speaking.”

“When you leave tomorrow, your main objective upon entering the Fubuki system is to locate and retrieve the metal pod. If you are ambushed in any way, you will retreat rather than fight since we don’t currently know if all of the krawl are merging on one location, specifically that system. Just in case, bring Spectrobes that you think would be capable of surviving a mass attack Rallen.”

“What of the meeting tonight Sir; will there still be one?” Jeena inquired.

“Yes, while you are inspecting the rift location, I will set up the emergency NPP meeting so it will begin a little after you return. That should give everyone in question enough time to arrive.”

“Now, even with all we have seen, I do not want to announce Krux is alive unless there is absolute evidence discovered. For now, operate as if he is. If he is truly alive, we will just have to hope he did not see any of the scanners. I will remain in my office so we can have constant contact both today and for tomorrow’s mission. That is all. Is everything clear?”

Both Rallen and Jeena saluted, “Yes Sir!”

“Good, then you are dismissed. If anyone asks why you are taking the cruiser, refer them directly to me. “I’ll see you both tonight.”

“Thank you Sir. C’mon Jeena, let’s fly!” Rallen shouted as he ran towards the door.

Sighing, Jeena saluted the Commander one more time and ran after him.

“ _Leaving the same way we came in,_ ” Jeena thought. “ _Oh well, at least it’s never boring with him. As Rallen says, Iku ze_!”

Now alone in the large room, Grant walked to his chair and slumped into it; rubbing his face with both hands. Ever since the day he had helped Rallen, Jeena, and Kamtoga save Kaio, he had had his doubts about the removal of the krawl threat. Even though Krux and his Krawlosphere had been destroyed, numerous hordes of krawl and mega krawl still existed throughout the system, causing the trip back to Kollin to be slightly delayed.

Even Rallen, the one who defeated Krux, never truly believed Krux was gone. This was proven the minute they returned home. Instead of relaxing, Rallen chose to train himself harder than Grant had ever seen; improving his skills as a swordsman and master. As proud as he was with his protégé, it caused him grief to see Rallen train as if a war was just over the horizon.

Lifting his head, Grant straightened up and rolled towards his desk. He may be unable to go out on the field any longer, but at least he could provide wisdom and leadership here. With renewed resolve, he reached for the phone and entered the first number. “This is the Commander. Is Aldous available?”

\----------------------------

Slowly opening her eyes, Sarah groaned as she left her dreamless sleep.

“Augh, my head is killing me. I hate waking up to a headache. What did I even do to provoke one?”

Continuing to grumble, she attempted to sit up. Almost immediately, her head made direct contact with the ceiling with a reverberating _Thwack!_

“ _AUGH_ , my HEEAAD; WHYYYY?”

In addition to the increased headache, her legs and chest began to protest, both sending sharp shooting pains with every motion. Shifting uncomfortably, the pain was enough to jolt her memory of what happened (hopefully) last night.

“ _I was outside, taking out the trash. Then…_ _the Krawl, Krux, I remember now. I still can’t believe that they actually exist. But I can have an existential crisis later. I have no idea where I am, but it can’t be anywhere good. I have to escape and fast_!”

Unable to move without agitating the wounds, Sarah slowly began to feel with her hands in the pitch black darkness. It appeared that she was not in a room but a container, and a small one at that. There was no visible light from any angle which raised the possibility it being airtight and of her running out of oxygen. Hoping to find some sort of weakness, she began to pound on the sides of the container with both hands. This effort proved futile however, since she was forced to stop after only a minute, short of breath and exhausted by the labor and increasing chest pain.

“ _What on Earth was in those spikes_?” Sarah wondered as she tried to figure out a new plan. “ _And why is it so hard to breathe? Did I break something? That must be why I can’t get out. I may not be strong, but I can hold my own. If I had my legs I would probably be free by now_...”

“ _Speaking of legs_ , _I should attempt to see how bad the wounds are_.”

Careful not to twist her body, Sarah gingerly slid her hand down the side of her shredded pant leg until she contacted one of the protruding spikes sticking out of her calf. It had a large, round top that slimmed as it came closer to her skin. Wrapping her fingers around it, she tried to pull it out, causing a wave of agonizing pain to course through her body. Ears ringing, it took everything she had not to lose consciousness as she quickly released the spike and pushed on the walls to distract herself; cursing her lack of pain tolerance all the while.

As the throbbing finally began to subside, Sarah noticed that the temperature of the container suddenly dropped. Unwilling to move much because of her legs, the cold slowly began to seep through her clothing.

“ _This is really bad_.” Sarah thought. “ _All I was wearing when I was attacked was a tank top and my sweats which are now completely ripped. At this rate, I could freeze to death before I die from lack of oxygen_.”

Curling up the best she could, Sarah sighed and chose to wait, hoping that someone would open her prison soon.

\----------------------------------------

Time quickly lost meaning, since Sarah had no way of telling what hour it was. Minutes felt like centuries as she silently waited, attempting to conserve heat and air. Lethargy started to take over; sleep becoming a sweeter and sweeter option. As Sarah’s eyes began to close, the container was abruptly jostled, landing heavily on what felt like solid ground.

The container remained still for a few moments before clicks and whirs began to grow increasingly louder around the top of the container. With a hiss, the cover rose and slowly slid to the side.

Momentarily blinded, Sarah covered her face until a shadow blocked the light. Looking through her arms revealed her captor, Krux, towering over her.

Glancing down, Krux snapped his fingers and a giant krawl materialized beside him. Reaching into the container, it roughly grabbed Sarah; throwing her from the pod into a large snowdrift. Stunned by the icy landing and renewed pain, all she could do was stare as Krux walked towards her.

“Morph, welcome to the planet Hyoga.” he declared; his deep voice sending additional chills down Sarah’s spine. “I thank you for volunteering your services to me. With your power, my plans will come to fruition much quicker.”

As he stepped closer Sarah shrunk back, trying to glare intimidatingly at him but failing.

“Pathetic. Whether you like it or not, you will assist me in my goals.”

Krux once again snapped his fingers, summoning a flower-like krawl from the purple smoke. The Swar threw back its thorn covered tentacle before flinging a group of spores into her face.

Coughing, Sarah grimaced as the movements agitated her chest, her breaths short and labored. Once again, staying awake became futile, and darkness claimed her soon after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the second chapter along with the introduction of a bunch more of the main characters. Unless you are new to the Spectrobes universe, all of these guys should be very familiar. Hopefully I was able to accurately portray their personalities this chapter; if not, please comment so i can improve my future chapters. For those who are new to all of these characters, bios will be posted in the future.
> 
> Sooo, ever wonder what happened after the end of the third game when they left the Kaio system? Well now you do!! In my story, it has been almost a year since they have returned from their adventure and they have been busy.
> 
> Jeena decided to become much more versatile in her use of weapons and now custom builds her own while Rallen has been raising the newest set of Spectrobe warriors. Most stay with him while others help with Wright and Kate's research. The retired battlers either spend time with Aldous or help Rallen in teaching the newest group.
> 
> After meeting Kamtoga after so many years, Grant often sends messages through the portal to his old friend and they have been able to stay in close touch. Other than that, Grant has to run the entire NPP so he's pretty busy every day.
> 
> Krux is....being Krux and Sarah just can't win. Will she survive? (Well duh she's one of the protagonists). How well she'll be off is the real question...
> 
> Lot's more to come guys and I promise all the sciency stuff will be explained next chapter (you know, all dat portal gibbergabber). :)


	3. Into The Portal

                                                            

 

“Jeena is the scan almost finished?” Rallen shifted impatiently in his seat. “These normally don’t take very long and you know we need to hurry back for the meeting.”

“Calm down Rallen. I’m running extra tests to make sure we don’t miss anything before the last remnants of the rift fully dissipate.” Jeena looked up from her work with a knowing smirk. “I know you and the Spectrobes want to fight some krawl, but this information needs to be gathered first; it could give you an upper hand.”

“Could? You make it sound like you haven’t found anything useful!” Rallen stood up from his chair and walked over to the main data screen where Jeena was currently typing.

“Well yes and no.” Jeena replied pointing to a graph on the upper left corner. “Unfortunately we can’t track where in space the krawl came from since the traces of space dust are unrecognizable to our systems. Also, there’s the fact that the portal was only meant to be a one-time doorway.”

“Hold on a second, isn’t that what every portal does? Well besides the three in our system connected to the towers.”

Jeena sighed furrowing her brow. “Rallen, didn’t you pay any attention when…ugh never mind. Just listen now, since we still have a bit of time before the last scan is complete.”

Now it was Rallen’s turn to sigh. “Seriously Jeena,” he complained. “A lecture? Now?”

“Yes Rallen, right now.”

Taking a quick moment to compose her thoughts, Jeena began. “Portals are made when you create a rift in space that has the ability to shorten the distance between point A and point B.”

“C’mon Jeena, this is basic stuff.” Rallen interjected.

“Well the basics are crucial in understanding the complex Rallen.” Jeena replied.

“Now, although it is true that all portals perform the same task, there are different kinds which determine how you travel and if you can. For example, the portal that sucked in our cruiser and forced us to travel to the Kaio system is a natural portal. As the name states, it forms naturally. This means they are very unstable and unpredictable in where they will appear, how long they will remain open, and where they will send the user to. Some natural portals when formed latch on to a specific area in space which causes them to always send things to that location, but this is a very infrequent trait. The Kaio portal would be a perfect example of that. Natural portals are unfortunately very rare and cannot be picked up by scanners yet. That’s why they are only used if discovered on accident, or as a last emergency resort since you have no idea where you will end up.”

“The second type is called a Door portal and is purposely formed. To make one, you have to know the two points in advance. Upon creation, the portal will cease to exist in a few minutes unless you close it yourself. The only way to return to the first location is to create a new portal with the same two points. Unfortunately it is near impossible to track where the portal was originally opened. The only way we could know is by taking samples of the space dust from the portal and running it against our database of systems. Since the knowledge of creatable portals is new to us though, we only have a few systems registered.”

“Right now the NPP labs are trying to create Door portal machines that can fit onto all cruisers. Thanks to the ancestors’ focal point system, which allows us to choose where we want the portal to open and close by typing in exact coordinates, stability is not an issue. It isn’t perfect yet, but because the ancestors left the portal towers, we have been able to build very advanced prototypes. We used one when returning from Kaio.”

“Speaking of the towers,” Jeena continued, “The portals in our system that are connected to them are the third type: Teleporters. Unless they are “locked” or turned off, they are extremely stable and will remain open with no issues. Since they are for two specific coordinates only, we are easily able to track what comes in and out. Also, we can protect ourselves from outside threats since once it does close, only the activation or destruction of the structure keeping it shut will allow the portal to open again. That’s why we never knew of the portals’ existence until the towers were damaged by the high krawl and the locking systems broke.”

Jeena turned to look at the screen for a progress report and then at Rallen. “That’s basically all you need to know. Natural portals are not man-made and teleporter and door portals are. The machines being tested at headquarters make door portals but there are still some roadblocks. We have been unsuccessful in creating a stable system that can handle the strain of opening and closing portals for very long. It can accomplish five that are safe to travel through, but then it begins to malfunction.”

“Hmmm.” Rallen answered as he looked outside then at the screen. “Well that explains why you’re being so thorough with these scans. If you are almost certain where the portal opened though and have a generalized area, couldn’t you just choose a set of coordinates from it and jump?”

“If you had a death wish, sure,” Jeena scoffed. “While it is painfully obvious how large and vast space is, the coordinates you choose could take you right into the middle of a star or some planet, killing you instantly. Even if you did survive, luck like that runs out eventually. Not to mention if something happened and you jumped too far, you might not be able to contact our star system for help. Just use a natural portal if you’re crazy enough to take a leap of faith.”

In front of them the orange screen flashed green and chirped happily, its task finished. Looking over the results Jeena sighed.

“This confirms exactly what I didn’t want to see. All I can tell is that the krawl came from a system we have never visited.” Continuing to scroll through the report, Jeena paused when a red graph appeared. “Huh. This is new. The portal they used was strained to a near breaking point.”

“Jeena, don’t leave me in the dark here, what does that mean?”

“It means Rallen, that wherever they came from, the distance was so far that the portal was stretched to make it back to Nanairo! This opens up so many questions!! Do some or possibly all portals have distances they can’t reach? What is the breaking point? What happens if they break and more importantly do they give any warning that they will? Can we create anything to reinforce portals so they can stretch? I can’t wait to share this!”

“Alright Jeena calm down! We’ll report all of this to Grant once when we return. Now, have we gathered everything we need?”

“Yep!” Jeena replied happily as they walked over to the cockpit seats. Sitting down, her excitement diminished as quickly as it came. “Rallen, if the data is true and they came from a location far away from ours….then the krawl exist anywhere we could possibly imagine; in areas we can’t help due to unknowns. Just where were they, and what was so deep in space that they needed to bring here?”

Rallen’s frown turned into a mischievous grin as he grabbed hold of the cruiser’s controls. “Well Jeena there is only one way to find out for sure!”

“And how is that Rallen?” Jeena replied with a wary glance.

“By asking them of course! The countdown has begun; soon we’ll be speeding through that portal. Until then…”

Thrusting the steering wheel forward, the cruiser roared to life and sped towards Kollin at an alarming speed.

“Hey, Rallen, slow down! Are you listening to me? Rallen; RALLEN!!!”

\-------------------------------

“Mmmmph.” Sarah’s eyes slowly flickered open. She was no longer in the snow, but she still felt the biting chill of the cold. She quickly discovered that attempting to move was pointless as her body was held down by an unknown substance. At least she could look around, but that was only because she had been strapped to a wall. Even then, the room was poorly lit.

“You appear to be quite resilient, waking up so quickly. Now that you are conscious, it would be in your best interest to fully submit your power to me.”

Looking towards the direction of the voice, Sarah grit her teeth. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Even if I did, I’d never help you.” As soon as she uttered those words a large surge of electricity traveled up the wall causing Sarah to shout in pain, spasming violently against the restraints.

“Foolish child. You act as if you have a choice.”

Still gasping from the shock, Sarah lost conscious once more; feeling as if someone was forcibly draining away all her will and energy.

\-------------------------------

“Thank you all again for coming on such short notice. All cruisers will fly to their respective locations with Rallen and Jeena’s departure in 15 hours. Until then, get some rest and I’ll see those directly involved tomorrow. Remember, this is to be kept under wraps until more data is received.”

Rising, the majority of officials left the conference room until Commander Grant, Aldous, Professor Kate, Rallen, and Jeena remained.

“I still think this plan of yours is rather risky,” Aldous grumbled. “But you two have pulled off many dangerous missions in the past. Don’t be afraid to call for help you hear? You aren’t the only ones who can wield the Spectrobes in this system.”

“While I don’t want a reason to use them, the Dynaliums will be prepped and ready by tomorrow,” Professor Kate added. “I’ll contact the list of combat flyers you requested and ensure they understand the seriousness of the situation.”

“Thank you Kate,” Grant responded. “Are you two ready for tomorrow?”

Jeena nodded. “Yes Sir. I will prep the cruiser before going to bed tonight so tomorrow can be spent looking over the data before we have to go.”

“And I’ll be with the Spectrobes,” Rallen added. “I know which ones I want to come with us, but I still want to ask them if they feel comfortable.”

“Hah! I highly doubt any of them will refuse a chance to get rid of some krawl!” Aldous laughed. “You’ll have a bigger problem telling them they weren’t chosen.”

“Then you are all dismissed. Come to my office an hour before leaving for final checks. We cannot afford any mistakes or malfunctions. Good evening everyone.”

“Good evening Commander.”

\-------------------------------

 _“Uuuugh, I’m awake again. It’s so quiet. I’m so cold, so tired, and there’s so much pain. Breathing hurts. Why does everything have to ache?_ ”

A gloved hand roughly grabbed Sarah’s face, turning her towards its owner.

“My patience is thinning Morph. Are you ready to submit?”

Still dazed, Sarah could only mumble in response.

Releasing her head, Krux took a step back before slashing at Sarah’s abdomen with his clawed arm. Searing pain kicked her mind into overdrive as she opened her mouth in a silent scream before slumping downwards, shaking.

Hearing the whoosh of air, Sarah knew she was alone again. This time, sleep did not come easily as pain and exhaustion persisted even in her dreams.

\-------------------------------

“Alright, all communication systems are on radio silence and everything else that is not necessary to run the cruiser has been shut off. Initial scans show no krawl in the atmosphere or around the planet’s orbit, but I would still be cautious on descent. The largest concentration of krawl measured and our best bet in my opinion is located in the southeast quadrant at these locations.”

Jeena altered the map and slid a gridded path onto the main window, showing Rallen where to go. “Everything is set, but seriously Rallen, warn me next time you enter a portal at those speeds; we almost crashed into a meteor upon entry!”

“Oh c’mon it was fun!” Rallen smiled at Jeena’s exasperated expression as they flew closer to the icy planet. Glancing at the map, a look a surprise crossed his face as he zoomed in on the intended location. “Wait a second…Jeena, isn’t this the area where we took down one of the high krawl?”

“Well I guess we know why they’re here then.” Jeena responded. “Remember all of the krawl that were frozen in blocks of ice?” The computer began to beep and Jeena looked over before continuing, “My guess they’re trying to build up their forces. The computer is picking up more and more readings of active krawl in that area.”

“All the more for my Spectrobes and I to vaporize out of existence!” Rallen said. “It’s about time the newest members received some real field training with their evolved teachers.”

“I know you brought three evolved forms Rallen, but don’t you think a full roster would have been a smart idea, especially if we encounter Krux?” Jeena asked.

Turning to face her, his face changed from jovial to serious. “Jeena, I have raised and trained every one of my Spectrobes personally and I put my full trust in them. Even though they aren’t in their final forms, they are strong, fast, and cunning.”

“Alright, if you’re sure Rallen.”

Silence filled the cruiser for a moment. “What about you Jeena, are you ready for the mission? I know in Kaio you got to battle alongside the Spectrobes with me but it has been awhile.”

Shoving him from the side Jeena smirked. “Don’t you worry Rallen. I’ve been specialty training to use a sword and long-range blaster ever since we returned.”

“Well just in case I am going to keep Zazanero out since we no longer have the dual prizmod.”

Jeena sighed. “Rallen, that really isn’t necessary I will be just fine…”

“Jeena.” Rallen turned to face her again. “We have no idea what type of krawl are there and I am the only one with a prizmod. Since you’re going with me instead of keeping tabs on my progress in the ship, I would rather her be with you in case we get separated. Like Grant said, we won’t take any unnecessary risks.”

Smiling, Jeena turned back to face the window. “Being responsible now are you? Sure you’re my partner?   C’mon, we’ve been sitting here long enough; let’s go secure Hyoga and rid this planet of the krawl on it!”

“And then we will celebrate with Mac ‘n’ Cheese in the mess hall tonight?”

Jeena laughed, “Yes Rallen, of course.”

Whooping with joy, the two began the descent into Hyoga’s frigid atmosphere.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, there be science in this here chapter! Before anything else was explained, I had to make sure I posted this chapter. It feels like a filler, but it wouldn't be a real story if everything and anything was possible without a reason why. They have all this cool tech for a reason and are learning and trying to improve it. More science is to come, but it will be in far less chunks.
> 
> The mission to hunt down the krawl has officially begun and Rallen and Jeena are on the move! They have no luck in location, so they will just have to travel through the portals like they have done so many times before.
> 
> In my universe, the Spectrobes do not have to immediately go back into the prizmod at the end of the battle; if they want they can stay out and roam a bit. That is why Rallen can ask a Spectrobe (or they hint to him) to spend time with someone else in this case Jeena. Although they can disagree, it really isn't a problem since they can just return to the prizmod if upset. Just for orderliness at the headquarters though, most of the time they are in the prizmod or designated areas.
> 
> And this can not be a Spectrobes story if you do not include something about Rallen and Mac n' Cheese. I love this joke so much.
> 
> By the end of the chapter, Krux's true intentions are still an enigma and Sarah is still captive. What is he doing to her and will it be too late by the time Rallen and Jeena find the hideout? Find out next chapter (It'll be a long and exciting one)!!


	4. Into the Depths

                                                                         

 

To prevent the cruiser from being discovered, Rallen landed a mile away from the concentrated krawl site in a field surrounded by icy peaks. Although the snow was deep, with the assistance of Zazanero’s flames, the group was able to travel relatively fast to their destination.

Turning past another seemingly identical snow drift, Jeena grabbed Rallen’s coat, yanking him into the snow just as a group of Greela passed by. Peeking around the corner, they saw multiple groups of Flash property Swar destroying the frozen ground to feed on. Zazanero growled lowly, preparing to rush forward before Rallen held up his hand.

“Zazanero, we need to stay quiet and remain undetected as long as possible. But don’t worry,” Rallen said as he scratched behind her large ear tufts, “We’ll get to bash some krawl on the way out. Just not the flash property for you; those would leave a mark.”

Snorting, Zazanero obliged and returned to the prizmod for a warm, well-deserved rest. The snow wasn’t an ideal environment for a Corona property Spectrobe anyways.

“Alright; now, we gather information,” Jeena said. Pulling a group of small metal sticks from her belt, she attached them to the multipurpose computer on her glove to provide a long-range scan of the area. Looking at the results she sighed in frustration.

“Unfortunately we need to travel another mile due east to that large ice structure. I’ve detected a large amount of dark energy inside, among other readings, meaning it must be hollow. If they’re guarding something, I would guess that is the location. Our main issue is getting to the structure though. Walking through this field puts us in direct eyesight of the rampaging krawl, but any detour would take hours to traverse.”

Looking over the drift again, Rallen observed the krawl’s movements as they unearthed snow and ice in every direction.

“Jeena, I think I have an idea. The krawl are moving in almost a line fashion, but some are staying in groups. Their destruction has caused little mini snow piles and holes that we could use to sneak across the field. As long as we can make it to that huge snow drift at the end of the field by those ice crystals, we should be good!”

“It’s a risk, but appears doable. Besides, I don’t really see any other option,” Jeena replied. “Just let me go first since I know the way.”

“Not a problem, considering I almost blew our cover due to that very reason,” Rallen responded as they dashed to the closest pile.

Luck was on their side the first few sprints. However, once Rallen and Jeena made it to the base of the opposite drift, a few awkward slides had left their entire bodies covered in icy snow.

“Man, it’s a good thing we brought the waterproof pants Jeena, or else we’d be frozen by now.”

“After our last visit here, I was sure to place an order. You’d think they would be a part of general cruiser supplies,” Jeena smiled.

“Ugh don’t remind me,” Rallen sighed. “I’m just glad there were ice paths the first time. Though, the weather seems to have covered many of them.”

The two slowly crawled up the embankment, using the snow around them to remain undetected. At the top, Rallen almost jumped over when Jeena once again had to grab his coat and drag him down.

“Rallen are you paying any attention?” Jeena hissed. “Look over there!”

Turning to the right, Rallen watched the group of Blova approaching slowly from the south wastelands pulling multiple blocks of frozen krawl towards the large ice structure.

“How on Kollin did I miss that? But seriously, how desperate is Krux that he has to go to such lengths?” Rallen mused. “I mean, we have already stopped this exact plan from happening once before; does he really think he’ll succeed this time?”

“With the amount of krawl present, perhaps he does.” Glancing across the opening, Jeena pointed towards the dark hole in the ice. “We need to get there somehow without being detected. _Ugh_! Why is there _another_ large open field? There aren’t even any holes or snow piles to hide behind this time!”

“Jeena, I think I know how we can get in!” Rallen said excitedly. “Look at that giant piece of ice three Blova back, the one with the four frozen krawl inside. It has a bunch of jagged edges we could climb up and hide between, giving us easy access to their whole base!”

“Let’s just hope nothing notices us running to it. C’mon!”

Sliding down into the snow below, the two crouched and waited for the krawl in question.

Jeena glanced over. “I think this is as close as it will get. Are you ready Rallen?”

“Born ready Jeena!”

“Then let’s go! Quickly!”

Jumping up, the mad dash began. The Blova did not appear to notice them, too distracted by their job, while a few Swar shrilled loudly in surprise as they slithered towards the two.

“Faster Rallen or they’ll reach us!”

“Says the one wearing less armor and gear!” he retorted back.

Approaching the ice, Rallen slid into a crouched position by the front edge, intertwining his fingers.

“Jeena, use me as a boost to reach the first ledge!”

Jeena stepped onto his hands and vaulted skywards. After pulling herself up, Jeena undid her utility belt and swung it towards Rallen.

“Hurry! Grab this and use it to swing upwards to reach my free hand!” Jeena cried. “But first, DUCK!!”

Turning around, Rallen barely had enough time to react as a tentacle flew where his head once was.

“Man they’re getting faster!” Rallen yelled as he jumped, reaching the belt and then Jeena’s hand. Joining her, the two slid back onto the frozen structure as far as possible to prevent any krawl from noticing them. The idea worked perfectly; since the Swar could no longer locate their target, they encircled the Blova a few times before giving up and returning to their wanton destruction.

“Even though they destroy and feed on entire planets, I really appreciate how mindless they can be,” Jeena said glancing at the departing Swar.

“Oh yeah,” Rallen agreed. Looking ahead, the Blova began to enter the dark cavern. Nodding at Jeena; both unsheathed their plasma swords from their gloves, creating a dull glow around them.

“Now the mission really begins,” Rallen said as they entered the inky darkness.

\--------------------------------------

Sarah blinked a few times, attempting to adjust to the lighting. After what felt like hours, she had been able to get a small amount of sleep. Not much had changed: she was still as cold and sore as before.

However, as her vision focused, she realized she was no longer in the small room. In front of her was a massive cavern of ice, easily the size of a football field. In spite of the large dimensions, it was not silent; a constant squelching sound echoing off the walls.

Shifting uncomfortably, Sarah’s attempt to move caused her binds to tighten and hiss at her. Her eyes widened in shock and pain as she realized the entire wall she was attached to consisted of nothing but pulsating, purple krawl tendrils.

“Do not struggle. They are temperamental and you run the risk of losing a limb in your current state.”

Turning her head, purple mist and lightning crackled in the center of the room until a form materialized, facing her.

Sarah’s voice cracked from disuse as Krux approached. “Why are you keeping me here?”

“Why would I tell you anything?” Krux responded. “You are here to serve my purposes and that is all you need to know.”

Now only a few feet away from her, Krux looked directly at Sarah; eyes glowing dangerously through his mask.

“This chatter is useless. I want to know how you are holding back. At first I assumed it was because of your severely weakened state, but this is evidently not the case as your condition has worsened but your output has not.”

Lifting his hand near her chest, wispy shadows began to flow and ebb off it as Sarah shifted to avoid any of it touching her. “Forcing you is the easiest option, but I need you as healthy as possible for this stage to remain at optimal speed. We have been on this filthy planet too long already and my presence might be detected the longer we are here.”

Taking a few steps back, Krux turned his head slightly. “Therefore, it is in your best interests to voluntarily offer your power to me.”

“I have no idea what you are prattling on about!” Sarah yelled, her frustration from the entire situation overriding her fear. “How can I possibly be ‘holding back’; I haven’t been able to do _anything_ since you kidnapped me!”

“DO NOT PLAY DUMB WITH ME MORPH!” Krux roared as he lunged from his position, slashing into her right shoulder with his clawed appendage. Sarah screamed in pain as blood flowed freely from the wound.

“I know _everything_ about you; your kind’s strengths and weaknesses. I KNOW you can sense what I am doing to you at this VERY moment! While you may have fooled others in the past, you cannot fake ignorance with me!”

Completely covered in shadows at this point, Krux backed away and held out his hand once more. “ _SO BE IT_. You refuse to freely give me what I desire? Then I have no choice but to force it out of you, until you willingly submit.”

Three balls of black shot out of his hand and into the ground below. Like seeds sprouting into trees, long tendrils of shadow shot upward and then crashed into each other, dissolving into three spiked yellow Swar. Sarah let out a small gasp as she immediately recognized them from the games.

“ _Though_ ,” she thought, “ _I suppose it would now be classified as real life_.”

They were sky property Swar: high level enemies that shot electricity out of their barbed arms, which almost always paralyzed both you and your Spectrobe; preventing either of you from attacking for a short time. Beginning to whimper, Sarah attempted in vain to break free of her binds as they did nothing but tighten with each pull.

Grinning maliciously beneath his mask, Krux pointed at Sarah as sparks began to travel up and down the Swar’s back spikes and into their barbed arms, forming large balls of electricity.

“Release!”

 --------------------------------------

Due to the dim lighting inside the cave, it was easy to slip into the crevices undetected. After a short walk, the main walkway split off into two routes, with the Blova entering the right side. Looking at her scanner, Jeena determined that both pathways would end up in the same main room, so they chose the left path, devoid of any krawl.

“Jeena, are you positive there are no krawl down this path? I would feel better if I had one of the Spectrobes out,” Rallen whispered as they walked down the hall.

Shaking the scanner in her hand Jeena looked over. “I’m not worried Rallen. If something comes, I’ll be able to detect it. Besides, this path leads to an area with high energy readings on the way to the main opening. The path the krawl were taking didn’t. We need to check it out. Speaking of which,” Jeena pointed to her left at an opening a few feet away, “There it is.”

Slowly approaching the door, Rallen peeked in and then jumped back, hand reflexively reaching for the prizmod. “Jeena, you have to see this! The room is packed with frozen Krawl!”

Jeena walked into the room, looked up and down the seemingly endless rows, and then back at her scanner. “This many krawl should have given off a larger reading. I wonder if their stasis changes that.”

“Let’s just destroy them,” said Rallen.

“And risk something hearing us?” Jeena replied. “All that noise would certainly draw attention to this room, due to the high ceiling. We can come back later when we leave since nothing is guarding this area.”

“That is odd,” Rallen said looking around one more time before exiting the room with Jeena. “You would think they would have guards everywhere.”

“Well, the largest concentration of krawl besides outside is in the upcoming room where the two paths combine again, so get ready.”

Turning the corner, the duo paused. Unlike the rest of the cavern which consisted of slick ice walls, the walls to the left and right of the room’s opening were lined with ice stalactites and stalagmites. This created small holes which allowed Rallen and Jeena to look into the room without actually entering and avoid being seen by the krawl who were going through said entrance.

Crawling over to the largest gap, Jeena peered over and then quickly motioned for Rallen, eyes wide.

“Rallen!” she hissed, “They’re defrosting the krawl in there!!”

“Wait, what?”

“Come and see for yourself!”

Although it was a tight fit, the two squeezed into the indented area and observed the activity. Just like the outer walls, the inside of the cavern was covered in sharp jagged icicles. Ambling around were flash property krawl and the Blova from earlier. Long, glowing purple krawl tendrils originating from another entrance created long spirals on the floor and walls, culminating in the boiling center of the room.

The Blova that had been pulling the blocks of krawl stopped here to push the ice in. Instead of sinking into the darkness, the ice remained afloat, until suddenly green tendrils covered in spikes shot out of the depths and latched onto the pieces. The mere touch caused the ice to hiss and evaporate as the motionless krawl were quickly freed to sink down with the tentacles.

Shortly thereafter, the krawl would suddenly resurface, full of life and energy, and slither out of the goo to leave the cavern with its other freed brethren; presumably to help in the current demolition of Hyoga.

Watching as the Greela obliviously passed by, the two waited until the coast was clear before dashing back to the empty hall to speak.

“Rallen, this is big. To have such a large-scale regeneration happening, a huge energy source would have to be nearby. But we didn’t see anything while we were investigating.”

“Hmm,” Rallen said as he peeked around the corner one more time. “Could they be tapping into the planet’s core to receive energy, like Gronos attempted to do with Ziba’s moons?”

“I doubt it,” Jeena replied. “I didn’t see any signs of deep tunneling or detect portal energy that would allow them to get close. But maybe whatever they’re using is in the next room. The krawl tendrils covering the wall enter from there and end in the pool. It seems like they are being used as makeshift cords that allow energy quick passage, which, considering that we have seen krawl used as building material before, is completely plausible.”

“Well then, it finally looks like it’s time to abandon the shadows and bash some krawl!” Rallen said excitedly.

“What? Rallen, _no_. This is exactly what Commander Grant told us _not_ to do. Now that we know why they’re here and we can’t go any further; it’s time to go.”

“But Jeena, if we take out the energy source, they won’t be able to defrost more krawl! Also, we still haven’t located the box from the video, which was the entire point of coming here. What if it is the power source?”

“We aren’t supposed to be attracting attention Rallen! Completely halting their progress will blow our cover! What if there are just more krawl in the next room?”

The two glared at each other, both refusing to back down.

Rallen was the first to break the silence. “Jeena, if we didn’t raise an alarm when the Swar noticed us outside, then I don’t think vaporizing a few in the next room will either. I’ll just cut a path so we can run through; in and out, just like that.”

Puffing up in frustration, Jeena crossed her arms and looked at her feet silently for a few moments. Sighing she looked back up. “You know the Commander isn’t going to like this.”

“I’ll be careful, promise. No heroics.”

“….”

“….”

“We’ll try to sneak around the border of the room first. If we’re seen, then you can bring out the Spectrobes.”

“Yeah! Thanks Jeena!”

Jumping up, Rallen activated his gauntlet and materialized the plasma blaster. “Ready?”

Activating her glove, she summoned her own miniature blaster. “As ready as I can be.”

“Alright then, let’s mo…”

“KEEEEYYYAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!”

A bloodcurdling scream echoed throughout the spacious ceiling and down the hallways, freezing them in place. Rallen looked at Jeena, not bothering to hide the concern covering his face.

“Jeena…that sounded like a human scream.”

“That couldn’t be… Krawl don’t take prisoners; they destroy everything.”

“AAAAAAAAHHHH, AAAAAAHHhhhhhh.”

“Jeena, forget the plan; we need to move, now!” Rallen shouted, placing his prizmod glove in front of his chest. “Iku ze guys!!”

The prizmod reacted to his voice with a burst of blue light, summoning Zozane and Spikan. With a battle cry, the three charged into the room.

“Rallen, wait!!” Jeena yelled as she dashed after them.

Startled by the sudden entry, the closest krawl were unable to recover before the Spectrobes and Rallen hacked, slashed, and shot a path through them and then the cavern in record time.

Sprinting into the next room, Rallen was surprised to find no one there besides the wall-covering tendrils and ice stalagmites.

“Way to go Rallen. There’s nothing here. We need to get out now while we still can and hope we weren’t noticed.”

“Hold on a second Jeena; look over by that stalagmite in the corner, it’s the metal pod!”

Approaching the container with caution, Jeena began to inspect it from every angle with the scanner.

“This pod is designed to be pressurized, so they could have transported anything with this.” she thought aloud.

“Well how is it opened? I don’t see a latch or locking device of any kind” Rallen asked as he began to look at the pod as well.

“There is a touch screen on the side. It probably needs a specific physical or chemical signature,” Jeena responded. “I don’t see any proof that something is still inside, but we should still proceed with caution; the scream could have been from sometone placed in here.”

“Not a problem,” Rallen said. “Zozane come here!”

Looking over from his security post by the entrance, the cat-like Spectrobe stretched and bounded over happily. “I need you to open up this pod,” Rallen instructed. “We’ll need to use your spikes to slice a clean piece off the top. Try to follow the line already there.”

Both Spectrobe and master took a few steps away from the container and focused as they prepared to strike. Simultaneously opening their eyes, Rallen grabbed the prizmod and Zozane began to glow.

“Iku ze Zozane; special ability activate!”

With a roar, Zozane dashed forward with amplified speed. Just as it seemed he would crash into the pod, Zozane sharply twisted his body to the side and curled inward as his fiery spikes impacted the container. Using his body as a makeshift saw, he spun around the pod multiple times before jumping off; skidding against the icy floor.

As soon as Zozane was clear of the pod, Jeena approached it and looked it over. “That worked perfectly, thank you very much! Now we just need assistance pushing it off.”

Rallen nodded and called Spikan over. With one quick shove, the top was on the ground. Looking inside, Rallen was disappointed to see there was nothing there besides a few stains.

“It’s empty; they already moved what was here. Or worse, it could have been empty from the start. You were right Jeena, we should have left earlier. Krawl could come in here at any moment.”

“You are absolutely correct young Spectrobe master,” a deep voice replied. “Krawl could come at any moment.”

The air began to shift in the center of the room until a crack of purple electricity revealed Krux. Zozane and Spikan snarled as they formed a barrier between him and their master.

“ _Krux_ ,” Rallen spat vehemently; the name leaving an awful taste in his mouth.

“So it’s true then,” Jeena said, walking to stand next to Rallen. “You really did survive the Krawlosphere’s destruction.”

Krux walked to the leftmost wall, purposefully ignoring the comment.

“I suggest you return your weapons to their sheaths, call the Spectrobes back to your prizmod, and surrender.”

Looking at Jeena, Rallen turned to Krux with an incredulous expression on his face.

“Ha! Are you serious? I should be saying that to you! We have brought you and your krawl army down multiple times and we _can_ and _will_ do it again.”

“Careful Rallen,” Jeena whispered.

“You may have the ability to surmount a defense against me, but I have an advantage of my own.”

Pointing to the wall Krux turned his head and looked at the two, eyes gleaming through his mask. “You may risk your own life to achieve victory, but are you willing to risk the life of a complete stranger?”

As soon as Krux finished his sentence, the krawl tendrils in the center of the wall slowly slunk away until the head and chest of an unconscious female appeared. Jeena gasped, placing her hands over her mouth in horror while Rallen stared, slack jawed.

The injuries were numerous, despite her arms and legs being covered. Shirt torn to shreds and covered in blood, bruises littering her face and chest, a trio of lacerations across the entirety of her abdomen, and two more present on her right shoulder.

“What…what did you do to her?” Rallen growled; quickly filling with rage that threatened to boil over.

“Time is running out,” Krux answered as two sky property Swar slunk towards the wall for the purpose of shocking the motionless female. It did not take long for her to respond as her eyes flew open, body twitching and voice screaming in pain.

“Alright, alright stop!” Rallen shouted and Krux raised his hand, halting the attacks. Head falling forward, she began mumbling incoherently as Rallen whirled towards Jeena.

“Rallen what do we do?” Jeena whispered anxiously. “If we surrender, we both know he will keep holding that poor girl prisoner, but there is no way she can survive another shock like that! Only Spectrobes are able to take prolonged damage from krawl.”

“Jeena I have no intention of surrendering to that monster,” Rallen harshly whispered back.

“Rallen, now is _not_ the time to be prideful! Look at her!”

“I know Jeena. Don’t worry; I think I have a plan. Just trust me and be ready to move.”

Turning back around, both Krux and the Spectrobes looked to Rallen for his decision. “Alright Krux, you win” Rallen grumbled. “Just stop hurting her. Return guys.”

Glancing at each other and then back at Rallen, the Spectrobes nervously obliged and entered the prizmod. De-materializing their weapons, Rallen and Jeena slowly began approach Krux.

As if on cue, the krawl that Rallen had been concerned about earlier began to swarm in from the main cavern.

“Rallen…” Jeena whispered as the room became more and more crowded, encircling the spot where they and Krux stood.

“Your prizmod,” Krux commanded, extending out his hand.

Placing his right hand over the prizmod, Rallen paused for a moment; glancing at Jeena, the girl, and ending with Krux.

“The prizmod, NOW.” Krux growled.

“Never! Iku ze!” Rallen yelled. Pushing his hand forward, the prizmod activated at the same moment his sword materialized, sending both blade and Spectrobe hungrily towards Krux.

Bending backwards, Krux dodged the sword but not Zazanero as she charged into the krawl master; both slamming into the wall with a fiery blast. Opening the prizmod once more, Rallen summoned Zozane to fend off the oncoming krawl wave. The advantage was short-lived as Krux roared in anger, throwing Zazanero across the room with a blast of dark energy.

“POOR CHOICE,” Krux bellowed as he shot a pulse of dark voltage at the wall; the energy climbing up the tendrils to successfully reach their target.

“NO!” Rallen yelled in dismay as he could only watch as the female once more began to twitch and scream in agony.

“AAAAAAAHHHHH! STOP IT, STOP IT! _PLEASE_!”

“JEENA!” Rallen yelled over the commotion.

“I know!” she responded as they began to run towards the krawl protecting the wall, swords drawn and ready.

\--------------------------------------

The attacks were becoming harder and harder to endure; the fact that Sarah had little pain tolerance to speak of not helping the situation. Grasping the remaining shreds of her sanity, Sarah began to lunge forward as hard as possible, unfocused on everything but the desperation to break free from her binds and the pain they inflicted.

Watching her struggle, Krux balled his free hand into a fist, causing the krawl to cease tightening and revert to covering her body once more.

As the crackling tendrils made contact with the marred skin on her abdomen, Sarah recoiled roughly in shock. No matter how hard she tried, she could not escape. Slumping against her restraints, she blurrily looked at Krux. Every inch of her body screamed for relief that she could not grant, and it was all because of him.

Her powerlessness over the situation, her fear from the constant abuse, and her hatred of her captor abruptly coalesced into a burst of fury. How _dare_ he! Ripping her from her family, her _home_ ; and for what? Some power she did not have and was unable to give him? Screw him; screw this! Sarah wouldn’t let him win. She had had,

“ ** _ENOUGH!!_** ”

Her voice boomed across the room like a clap of thunder; freezing everyone in place.

Scowling, Sarah’s iris’ changed to ruby red as ice from the stalagmites broke off and flew towards her. Attaching themselves to the wall, the krawl tendrils entangled around her froze and shattered into thousands of pieces, setting her free.

As the fragments shimmered around her, Sarah’s body began to glow with increasing intensity. With a flash the light subsided, revealing her motionless figure. She still appeared human, but her hair had changed from a smooth brown to spiky silver. Her ears were slightly pointed along with silver and red markings outlining her eyes and cheeks. Her shredded clothes looked noticeably shorter on her; the pant legs now above the ankles and top higher around the waist.

The silence from transforming was short-lived as Sarah’s eyes shined once more. Shifting her body forward, her hair took on the appearance of icicles as they spiked behind her head. Letting out a ferocious roar through her sharpened teeth, Sarah vaulted herself forward, body glowing and changing, before smashing into the floor as a large, furious Rydrake.

Growling, she took a step back and crouched down while her razor-sharp wings began to shimmer, water covering the tips. Realizing what was about to happen, Rallen shook himself out of his stupor and tacked Jeena.

“GUYS, HIT THE DECK!”

Right as they crashed onto the floor, Rydrake spread her wings and shot forward, rushing through the group of krawl with the special attack, decimating them all.

Turning to face Krux, Rydrake snarled and attempted to dash forward but instead collapsed, having spent what little energy she had with the one attack. Unable to stand, she was enveloped in a bright flash, and returned to her original human form in the center of the room.

“Such power for one so young,” Krux muttered to himself as he surveyed the now krawlless room, “Much more than originally anticipated. Enjoy your brief respite; you won’t escape me so easily next time.”

“Krux!!” Rallen shouted, watching dark shadows envelop Krux’s form as he teleported away.

“Rallen we’ll have to worry about him later,” Jeena said. “That attack the Rydrake…or girl…or whatever, took out the krawl but also damaged the integrity of this room; it could collapse at any moment! We need to get out of here now!”

Running over to the unconscious stranger, Jeena leaned down check her vitals but flinched back upon touching her arm.

“Rallen, she’s freezing cold!”

Opening the scanner, Jeena ran a full body diagnostic and looked up at Rallen anxiously.

“This is bad. If she doesn’t get medical attention soon, she’ll die from these injuries. I’m actually surprised she’s alive right now, considering the amount of damage she received earlier from Krux.”

Rallen balled his hands into fists angrily as he looked at the girl. “Krux, he’ll pay for this. How we are going to move her though? Isn’t it dangerous to transport her in this state?”

“Yes, it’s extremely dangerous,” Jeena replied, “but we really don’t have a choice. Look!”

The walls that had been groaning the entire conversation started breaking apart, sending pieces of the ceiling falling uncomfortably close to where they were standing.

“Ok…well let’s see…” Rallen paced back and forth and then glanced at the two Spectrobes out.

“I’ve got it!”

Opening the prizmod, he returned Zozane and summoned Spikan.

“Ok guys, I really need your help and then you can rest. Spikan, can you please carry her as gently as possible? Don’t worry about krawl attacking because that will be Zazanero’s job. Zazanero can you carry myself and Jeena and still be able to run to the ship?”

Zazanero nodded and Rallen smiled. “Great! Then let’s get out of here, FAST.”

The group encountered little resistance running through the halls of the cave system as the majority of the active krawl in the cavern had been in the room when the Rydrake attacked. Exiting the crumbling structure however, led them into a field swarming with Blova and the newly released Greela and Swar.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Rallen said as they skidded to a stop.

Immediately, the Greela closest to the group trilled in alarm, grabbing the attention of the entire area.

“We don’t have time for this!” Jeena sighed as she and Rallen hopped off Zazanero.

“Keep going with Spikan Jeena,” Rallen said. “Zazanero, Iku ze!”

The duo sprinted forward while Jeena and Spikan used the distraction to run to the snow banks unhindered. Scrambling to the top as fast as she could, Jeena carefully peered into the next field.

“Rallen, there aren’t any krawl in the other field anymore; we’re home free!”

“Just a moment Jeena,” Rallen grunted as he sliced through an approaching Greela. Glancing over at the Blova, Rallen called the Spectrobe over.

“Zazanero, use your special attack for as long as possible to get rid of the Blova while I destroy the Swar packs.”

With the advantage of Corona over Aurora, it only took a minute to finish off the final few. Calling the Spectrobe back, Rallen hopped on Zazanero to catch up to Jeena’s location. Although it took a bit longer than expected due to increasing snowfall, they were able to reach the cruiser in good time.

Thanking and returning the Spectrobes, Rallen and Jeena carefully brought the girl to the ship’s medical bay. Powering up the machines, Jeena glanced up.

“Rallen, you know how I tell you not to be reckless?”

“Yeah?”

“Ignore that; the faster, the better. As quick as we were, too much time has passed. Just, please don’t crash into the NPP hanger again.”

“No problem!” Rallen replied already heading towards the cockpit.

Sliding into his chair, Rallen flipped a few switches to activate all systems, quite literally blasting off the ground. Once out of Hyoga’s frigid atmosphere and near the portal, Rallen opened the cruiser’s long range communicator and began to repeat the same phrase,

“Hello? This is Rallen of the NPP. We have a level three SOS on our ship. Does anyone copy? Hello…”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, we have some action up in this house! Again, I'm going to say, you need to play the ds games to understand a bunch of references that have and will be used in this chapter... or you can just look it up. But anyways, wow lots of stuff happened here, the two storylines finally met up and Sarah is now safe...well sort of. It really took a long time to figure out how to describe the main action scene so I hope you enjoyed reading it! The next few chapters will be somewhat quiet but that doesn't mean they won't be full of fun and spectrobes.
> 
> See you next chapter :)


	5. The Awakening

                

 

“Nurse Linley I’m here; my apologies for the delay. Why was I was called in at such a late hour? I wasn’t permitted specifics over the comm.”

“It’s for a female Dr. Strall, around her early twenties. She’s right in this room. We’ve managed to stabilize her for now.”

“My goodness,” The doctor paused to inspect the injuries. “What happened to her?”

“A Code Orange Sir.”

Dr. Strall froze.

“How many others?”

“She’s the only case as far as we know. Commander Grant called to alert us shortly before coming in himself with the patient, Spectrobe Master Rallen, and his partner Jeena. When we asked what happened, the Commander refused to answer any specific details. He only gave us the information needed to treat her and that you needed to be called due to your experience handling krawl injuries.”

“Well that doesn’t help us much does it? Were you told anything else?”

“Only that while an announcement will be given, news of this patient and her condition cannot leave the hospital given this is a Level Five Security situation.”

“Well of course! Patient confidentiality is always mandatory,” Dr. Strall huffed. “That does explain the lack of regular employees in this wing though; few have high level clearance. This isn’t affecting current hospital performance is it Linley?”

“No, although I’m certain many of the personnel will have questions.”

“Well, that’s what you’re for my dear. As Head Nurse, I expect you’ll stomp down the rumors and send any nosy faces packing.”

“As if you don’t do that already _Mr._ _Head Surgeon_ ; strutting down the halls with your stony gaze.”

“HA! That’s Dr. Head Surgeon to you! Someone has to make sure this place runs smoothly.”

Grabbing the chart at the foot of the gurney, Dr. Strall’s smile morphed into one of confusion as he flipped through the pages.

“There’s nothing here but the injury descriptions. No name, blood type, allergies, nothing. Did you not initially scan her fingerprints for an ID so we could access her medical records?”

“We did.”

“And?”

Nurse Linley shifted uneasily. “There’s no record of her in any of the databases sir.”

“WHAT?! Then how on Kollin are we supposed to give her accurate care! What if she is the _one_ person who is allergic to the anesthetic we use?”

“Sir, please calm down,” Nurse Linley said; raising her hands to try to pacify the fuming doctor. “On your way here, we tested her blood and administered O negative per emergency procedures to stabilize her. We should have her actual blood type confirmation any moment now. I and a few other nurses and doctors cleaned the wounds the best we could and were able to run a few scans based on the injury locations. Here are those results.”

Relaxing slightly, the doctor looked at the papers the nurse handed to him and glanced over at the girl.

“Well, this doesn’t appear to be too complex, but I’m sure everything will go horribly wrong now that I’ve said that. Let’s just hope that there will be no need to amputate. Since the toxin is Flor-based, I don’t like the shade of color on the right leg.”

Running his hand through his hair, the doctor sighed. “While I get dressed and sanitized, wheel her into operating room ten and call the anesthesiologist. Also, contact Grant and tell him Dr. Strall needs to speak to him, _now_. If he doesn’t answer, then call again until he does. This is going to be a long morning.”

\-------------------------

Yawning, Rallen and Jeena trudged into Commander Grant’s office with Grant following a moment later. Motioning to the chairs, all three sat around the large main desk in various degrees of exhaustion.

“I apologize for keeping you up after this taxing mission, but there are some questions that must be answered.” Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Grant faced the two. “I sent you both to go and gather data, but instead of bringing back the object in question, you brought back a near fatally wounded girl while setting off level three alarms with your S.O.S call.”

“From what you hastily told me pertaining to the girl’s injuries, you were attacked by krawl….and Krux. I need to know how that point was reached. Let’s just begin with the original goal I gave you: What did you see and were you able to locate the box the krawl were escorting?”

Jeena straightened in her chair. “As we suspected, there was a large amount of krawl on Hyoga. However instead of solely consuming the planet, they were also gathered at one specific location for the purpose of collecting ice-encased krawl. The fact that they had and followed a task meant that there had to be a leader. And….” Jeena paused, unwilling to continue.

“As I said in the cruiser, Krux is alive sir.” Rallen sighed. “From what we could gather, he traveled to Hyoga to increase his army by using some sort of energy source to melt the krawl out of the ice. While we didn’t find the power source, we did find the container, but it was empty by the time we reached it.”

“Were you able to bring the container back for examination to see if we could possibly discover its contents?” Grant inquired.

“No sir. Jeena had a moment to scan it, but that was it. Due to the girl’s condition, we had to rush back to the ship. Also…” Rallen glanced at Jeena nervously, “The cavern the container was in ended up collapsing when we fought Krux.”

“WHAT!?!” Grant stood, hands slamming onto the desk. “I specifically told you _not_ to purposefully engage the enemy! Fighting Krux without any backup; what were you thinking?”

“Sir we had no choice!” Rallen replied, standing up as well. “We didn’t find the girl in some prison cell; she was being actively tortured by Krux! We weren’t going to just walk away!”

Sighing, Grant shut his eyes and took a breath to calm himself, slowing returning to his seat while Rallen followed suit.

“It appears that we will have to wait for our guest to wake up if we want any clue to what Krux is planning. Right now I’m just glad you are both safe. When I discovered it was your ship that was emitting the SOS, I feared the worst.”

Grant grimaced as he recalled the state of the girl as she was rushed from the cruiser into the hospital.

“Before you came here to be debriefed, I was messaged by Dr. Strall who, to put it mildly, was not pleased. There are a variety of injuries that he didn’t have time to describe since he was on his way to the operating room, but I can tell you this: the girl had massive blood loss which almost caused her to go into hypovolemic shock shortly after we brought her in. Your quick work is the only thing that kept her from dying. In my personal opinion, it’s a miracle she was even alive when you found her.”

“Well luck may not be the only reason,” Jeena said, looking at Rallen. “Honestly, I still don’t believe it, but it could explain why she survived multiple attacks from the krawl.”

“What do you mean?” Grant asked.

“Well, when we faced Krux, he attempted to use her as leverage against us so that we would surrender. But uhh...” Rallen faltered as Grant’s expression darkened. “Ahem, but his plan failed since the girl broke free during the following battle…and uh, ended up helping us by uh, by turning into a Rydrake and destroying his forces, causing the cavern to collapse and Krux to flee.”

Grant blinked, his anger quickly morphing to confusion and disbelief. “I’m sorry Rallen, but did you say she turned _into_ a Spectrobe?”

“I know it sounds crazy, but both Jeena and I watched it happen. We had to dodge an attack that wiped out the krawl in the cavern."

"And after said attack, she collapsed and changed back," Jeena piped in.

"Then her recovery and our eventual meeting with her is top priority. Hopefully she will be willing to help us in our fight against Krux along with providing useful information about herself. We have no data on this apparent Spectrobe ability. Is that all you have to report on the major aspects of the mission?”

“Yes Sir, all other details I will include in the written report. I can complete it by this evening.”

“Take your time Jeena; you are both off duty to rest. Especially considering that the announcement on the reemergence of the krawl is tomorrow, well considering the time, today. I am going to set up a meeting with Aldous, Professor Kate, and Professor Wright to see to the beginnings of a plan in case we are attacked once more and to discuss what to release to the public. You are both invited if you wish to attend. With the recent fossilized weapons discovered, maybe there is something new that we can use. Is there anything else?”

“Actually Sir,” Rallen said, “I would like permission to return to Hyoga, the sooner the better.”

“Completely out of the question,” Grant responded. “It was a big enough risk to send you out before. Now that we have proof that Krux is alive and active and he is aware we know; sending you back to his last known location would be foolish. We need you and Jeena here.”

“But Sir,” Rallen pleaded, “When we retreated, we left behind hundreds of frozen krawl! Yes the cavern collapsed, but we never found the energy source. He could just come back and start up again if it survived!”

“I’m sorry Rallen, but the answer is no and that is a direct order,” Grant said firmly. “Once we get a better grasp of the situation, maybe I can dispatch a group but for now, unfortunately we are at war once again. Do you understand?”

Rallen slouched into his chair with disappointment plastered across his face, too tired to argue. “Yes Sir.”

“Good. As soon as the girl awakens I would like you two to be present with me. Dr. Strall said that she appears to be around your age, not to mention she may remember your rescue efforts and be more open to conversation.”

Glancing at the clock on his desk, Grant stood up, motioning to the door.

“Alright you two, please go and get some rest. It has been a long day for all involved and I’m sure you are both exhausted judging by the looks on your faces. I doubt the girl will wake anytime soon, but once she is deemed stable for visitors you both will be the first to know. Until then, keep up with your training.”

Nodding their heads, the two stood up and left the Commander’s office. Walking down the empty halls to the housing division, both remained silent; each lost in their own thoughts until they approached the suite door.

“Man, it has been a wild few days,” Rallen whispered as he unlocked the door and the two entered.

“You’re telling me,” Jeena said, closing the door behind her and flicking on the lights. “It certainly isn’t boring anymore.”

“Heh. When I said that, I certainly didn’t mean for this kind of excitement,” Rallen replied as he removed his armor. “At least we get to sleep in since Grant took us off duty.”

“Well when you wake up, you better go and apologize to the poor people in the hanger you practically crashed into with the cruiser.”

“Yeah, yeah I know…I just wish it wasn’t the same people as the last time,” Rallen sighed, rubbing the back of his head embarrassedly.

“Well at least they’re used to you,” Jeena giggled, electing another sigh from Rallen as they went to their respective rooms.

“Rallen?”

“Hmmm?”

“Are you going to the meeting tomorrow? I think I will, since we both have to attend the announcement.”

“…Yeah. That way we can help with the attack plans. The Spectrobes will need to be ready for anything.”

“Alright. Good night Rallen.”

“Good night Jeena.”

\----------------------------------------------

Sunlight streamed into the room through the slits of the window shades, slowly creeping up the side of the bed until reaching the occupant, causing Sarah to slowly stir and open her eyes. Instead of the cool blue walls of her bedroom and the annoying morning songbirds greeting her hearing and vision, sterile white walls came into focus along with the continuous beep of a monitor.

“ _This is not my room.”_ Mentally stomping down on her rising panic, Sarah glanced around. The room was small, with a single window, door, and bed that she was currently resting on. Other than a few machines, connecting IVs, and a bedside table, it was completely barren.

" _Ok, so I seem to be in the hospital, but how?_ " Sarah’s face scrunched in frustration as she attempted to gather her thoughts. “ _I feel exhausted and all my memories are fuzzy. All that comes to mind is Krux...and krawl...and a bunch of different voices?   The krawl bits are weird. That was just a dream…right?_ "

Looking down at her covered body, Sarah attempted to reach for the sheet but found it difficult as her arms felt like lead bars. “ _That’s…weird. It probably isn’t a good idea to move the right one anyway; there are a bunch of tubes in it. But still…_ ”

Trying once more, Sarah slowly moved her left arm towards the top of the sheet and slightly lifted it. Gasping, her breathing became erratic as she used the gravity of her arm falling to the side of the bed to rip the blanket away from her and onto the floor, nearly pulling the tubes out from her right arm in the process. Besides the IVs, her entire upper torso, right shoulder, and both arms and legs were gratuitously wrapped in varying layers of bandages and gauze.

" _Nonononono...What HAPPENED to me?_ " The phrase ran through her mind like a broken record as tears fell from fear and confusion.

" _Alright Sarah, focus...fooocuss. Breathe in and out. Stop thinking about it, it’s making you panic even more. You need to calm down or else that STUPID heart rate will just keep getting louder._ "

Scouring the room for a distraction, Sarah noticed a nurse passing by her door out of the corner of her eye.

"WAIT, PLEASE WAIT!" Sarah croaked out. After a moment, the face reappeared and the nurse walked in with a clipboard.

"Good morning Miss! It seems that you are finally completely aware. That’s great! Is everything alright? Are you in any pain? I see you have thrown the sheet again. I have to know, is our bedding that uncomfortable?"

"…What?" Following the bubbly nurse's eyes Sarah looked at the floor. "The sheet is fine. Can you please tell me what’s going on? Where am I, how long have I been unconscious, is my family here, why am I covered in bandages, and,” Sarah blinked, “what do you mean I’ve thrown the sheet _again_?”

"Miss, please calm down; you have nothing to worry about. You are currently in one of the best hospitals on this planet. When you were brought in we couldn’t find any of your medical records so we couldn't notify any immediate family. Now that you’re conscious, with your help we can contact them so they can come right away."

Grabbing the clip board at the foot of the bed, the nurse jotted a few notes. “You won’t have any solid food for a bit, but don’t worry! We’ll remove the feeding tube soon."

"Yeah ok..." Sarah mumbled before the sentence was fully processed. "Wait, this is a feeding tube? How long have I been out?”

"Well, during the past few days you have been in and out of consciousness for increasingly longer periods, but today would mark a week and five days since your admission.”

Sarah froze.

"Miss? Is everything ok?" The nurse asked worriedly.

“ _Oh I’m just peachy_.” Sarah quipped to herself before nodding to the nurse.

“I’m fine. Twelve days is such a long time and I can’t really remember how I got here or those periods of wakefulness you mentioned; my memories are all jumbled.”

“I’ll make sure to mention that to the doctor, he’ll be visiting to speak with you sometime soon now that you’re fully aware.”

Picking up the sheet the nurse carefully covered Sarah again and grinned. “And by what I meant when I said you’d thrown the sheet again: while you were unconscious, you would occasionally pull it off yourself. We never knew when you would do it since it was inconsistent. I thought it was kind of cute.”

The nurse laughed good-naturedly as Sarah looked away, blushing.

“For now, try to relax; your body is still healing. My name is Nurse Airen if you need anything before I come back.”

“Alright, thank you,” Sarah smiled as the nurse left. Once the door shut, the plastic expression quickly vanished, allowing unpleasant thoughts to resurface.

“ _How can I rest if I still know absolutely nothing? I’m in a normal hospital, which must mean that the krawl were just a weird fever dream. But then how did I get these injuries? What was I doing? I certainly hope it wasn’t a car crash. I wish mom and dad were here; I’m sure they’re worried sick. Heh, I’m worried sick_.”

Sighing, Sarah let her head fall back onto the pillows, giving her neck some much needed rest. Closing her eyes, she attempted to daydream her concerns away until sleep finally took her.

\--------------------------------------

The following week passed monotonously and was horribly boring in Sarah’s opinion. While most of the time was spent resting, once a day, Nurse Airen would come to help her bathe and change the wound dressings. While extremely awkward, it helped her to see the full extent of her injuries, even if she couldn’t stand to look at them the first day. She was also assigned very mild physical therapy to complete while lying in bed to help regain strength in her arms and legs. The most exciting event had been when the feeding and IV fluid replacement tubes had been removed, and that was anything but fun.

Health aside, a growing concern was the fact that the hospital could not locate her family. After giving her full name and parent’s names, Airen had attempted to look up their medical records, but was unable to find any information. While the nurse assured her it had to be a simple computer error, there had been no updates as of late which caused undesirable thoughts to accumulate.

Thus, the only thing Sarah was actively looking forward to was the doctor’s visit. When he had failed to show up by the third day, she inquired as to why. Apparently he had been called to two different hospitals for emergencies. Sarah had tried to ask about the extent of her injuries early on, but the nurse had replied that the doctor would be able to do a better job explaining. She didn’t ask again due to nerves. However, according to Airen, today he was back.

Late in the afternoon, Sarah woke up from her nap to the sound of voices outside of her room door. Due to the window covering, she couldn’t see who was there but was able to distinguish at least four different voices. Glancing to the left, she saw a food tray with water, macaroni, and some jello on the table.

“ _The nurse must have brought that in when I was asleep. That was nice of her_ ,” Sarah mused as she reached for the water. Leaning back, she watched the shadows dance around the window until a man in a white coat entered, closing the door behind him.

“Good afternoon Miss Sarah, my name is Dr. Strall. I’ve heard a lot about you from Nurse Aiden and I apologize I couldn’t meet with you sooner. Your recovery seems to be going well. How are you doing today? Is there pain or numbness in any areas?”

“Well, not as far as I can tell. I’m mostly just achy and stiff from not moving around much, but the breathing and stretching exercises have helped. The medicine to reduce the pain is working really well,” Sarah said as she shifted her position.

“Yes, the medical field has advanced by leaps and bounds over the past few years. I’m glad your body has responded well to the dosage amount.” The doctor began to write on his chart before moving his attention to the bandaged areas.

“According to Nurse Airen’s notes, everything appears to be healing and the swelling has decreased. All of the infections that persisted during unconsciousness are gone and the fever you had due to them broke soon after. With your permission, I am going to inspect everything myself Miss Sarah.”

“Just Sarah is fine and you may,” she replied as Dr. Strall removed the bottom half of the gown and began unwrapping the leg bandages.

Grimacing slightly, Dr. Strall quickly tried to don a neutral mask, but was too slow.

“What’s the matter? Is something wrong? When I asked, Nurse Aiden said you could explain everything thoroughly. So please, don’t lie to me.”

Sighing, Dr. Strall continued his examination. “No, nothing is wrong per say; I was just hoping that the discoloration would not be as prevalent as it is.”

“Discoloration? I thought those were just really bad bruises around the wounds.” Sarah frowned. “What exactly is wrong with my legs?”

“How about this: I’ll describe every injury as I look at it, but you’ll have to wait until the examination is complete to ask any questions. Is that fair?”

“Yes, as long as you don’t sugar coat your answers,” Sarah responded.

“That would be insulting to both of us,” the doctor laughed. “I promise. Now let’s begin.”

Reaching for a roll of gauze and what Sarah assumed to be some ointment out of his bag, the doctor slowly rubbed the cold cream on both calves.

“Your legs have two major issues. First, I’ll mention the burns since they cover the entirety of the legs. They are healing nicely, and you have no issues moving your limbs, meaning it wasn’t as serious as we first thought. Physical therapy will be the judge of that however. Put simply, an electric current ran through your body and the tissue heated up due to the interaction, causing the burns. You also have burns of this nature on your arms, and I’ll check those in a bit.”

“As for the discoloration, your legs were injected with a powerful localized paralysis toxin. You unfortunately received a copious amount to both legs. So, due to the amount, the type of toxin, and the time the excess materials remained in your legs is why the color is so dark. Think of it like a tattoo: it may lighten slightly with time, but it will not fade away completely. Well,” the doctor quickly amended, “Unless we find a way to combat the chemicals in the toxin that cause the staining.”  
  
" _Well I can never wear short dresses again....or shorts_ ," Sarah thought somberly. " _At least it doesn't go above the knee and is mostly on the back of my legs. Maybe I could use industrial strength makeup or something.._."

"Alright, now that your legs are re-wrapped, the next injuries I’ll look at are your arms. Like I previously said, you have burns caused by electricity spanning the entirety of both. They appear to be healing without issue. However, the burns appear to have occurred after you received the large scrapes on your lower arms. Because of this, the more delicate layers of your tissue were hit. While a skin graft wasn’t needed, there is a slim chance that scarring will occur. If at all, your skin there will be a slightly off shade from the original so I wouldn’t worry.”

While Sarah processed the information, Dr. Strall switched gloves before writing a few more notes and pulling various medical tools from his bag.

“Finally, we have your more serious injuries which are all located in or around the chest. You have two cracked ribs on your right side. The reason you haven’t felt major pain is due to the medicine, your unconscious state giving you time to heal, and because the surrounding area did not experience damage from the ribs. It would have been another story if they had broken into pieces. I’ll be taking another x-ray at the end of this week to check how they are healing.”

“The lacerations on your shoulder are luckily only two very deep cuts; the one closer to your neck slightly more so. No muscle was torn or arteries hit so stitches were all that was needed. The lacerations in your torso were much deeper cuts. Whatever hit you would have sliced through muscle if your natural adipose tissue hadn’t served as a shield. Unfortunately, all five will leave scars.”

At this, Sarah let out a slight whine, causing Dr. Strall to smile sympathetically before continuing.

“Now, let’s talk about your recovery. While it may seem upsetting that you were unconscious for so long, you were able to dodge all of the discomfort that post-surgery and the healing body can loving provide you. Due to the type of injuries you sustained, it will take another week or so of healing before you even attempt to leave this bed. I will be setting up appointments for more intensive physical therapy once I deem you stable enough for it; no need to agitate those ribs."

Dr. Strall grabbed the patient chart again, taking a few notes before standing up.

"I thank you for not attempting anything rash while recovering; patients here are usually very impatient and try to check out long before they’re ready."  
  
"Well besides the boredom I haven't really wanted to move much; I've been tired lately," Sarah replied.  
  
"I'm not surprised." Dr. Strall glanced over to the door. "I know that I have given you a lot to think about, but there are a few people who have requested to visit you once you were stable. They have some questions that they would like to ask you, but I won't let them in unless you verbally consent to it."

Immediately interested, Sarah looked to the door. "Oh! Is it the police?"

"The police?" Dr. Strall appeared confused before relaxing. "Oh, you mean the Patrol. Yes, they're here to ask about what happened when you were injured."

"Oh..." Sarah looked down dejectedly. "I can't remember exactly what happened. When I try, I just recall a really vivid dream I had before waking up here and indistinguishable voices. I doubt I’ll be of any help.”

"The nurse mentioned you were having memory problems, but since you know your name and other personal information, it could just be you’re repressing the event. With these injuries, I wouldn’t be surprised if there is mental trauma. Would you still be alright speaking with them? Information they have may help bring something back."

"Yes, I want to talk to them. Any information is better than what I have now."

"Alright; I'll let just one in at first, then you can decide if you can handle two more."

Walking to the door, the doctor slightly opened it. "She is ready to see you Sir."

Quickly looking at the nearby monitor, Sarah attempted to refresh her appearance as the officer entered the room. Turning to greet them with a smile, Sarah's demeanor morphed into shock as her fragile concept of reality was smashed into pieces.

"Good afternoon Miss, my name is Commander Grant. I hope your recovery has been pleasant and... Miss?"

"No...please no…" Sarah mumbled; eyes widening in disbelief.

"Perhaps this was an unwise decision," Dr. Strall said as he nervously motioned Grant towards the door.  
  
"No wait!" Sarah exclaimed. As the two faced her, she took a deep breath, attempting to calm herself and prevent the tears that were threatening to fall.

"This isn't a joke is it; someone in a costume? You really are Commander Grant, head of the NPP?"

"Yes, I assure you I am not a fake," Grant stated calmly, attempting to prevent further deterioration of the situation. "If I may ask, and I will take no offense to your answer, why is my appearance so shocking?"

With the tears now falling adding to her growing frustration, Sarah looked straight at Grant before shaking her head and looking at her hands.  
  
"Because, that means what I remember.... _everything_....wasn't just a bad dream. It. Was. _Real._ And that can't be possible. It just can't."  
  
Besides her hitched sobs, silence reigned as Sarah attempted to calm herself down. Watching his patient, Dr. Strall weighed his options and turned to the Commander.

"Grant, you told me that she was attacked by krawl. Up until this moment she did not show any signs of distress about this fact; didn’t even ask me about them. She claimed memory issues, but considering the response to your appearance, I think that calm was built on the belief that krawl weren’t the reason behind her injuries."

“It’s unfortunately much more complicated than that Jared. But we can speak on it later. What should we do?”

“Well, considering how she is reacting to you now, I don't think that you should ask her anything today. In fact, I don't think Rallen or Jeena should come in at all; they might trigger an even worse response. The fewer stimuli she has to interact with the better. Her health is above anything at the moment and you know I can and will kick you out."

“Rup!!”

Everyone in the room froze, slowly turning to the door which was now cracked open and the Ryza who had slipped through.

Grant was the first to react, bending down to grab the child form while simultaneously shutting the door while Dr. Strall attempted to hide his visible distress.

“Is…is that a Ryza?” Sarah murmured, rubbing her face before looking at Ryza again with unabashed interest.

Grant slowly walked forward and extended his arms. “Would you like to hold her?”

“Oh could I?” Sarah exclaimed before recoiling, embarrassed at her volume and forwardness.

Chuckling, Grant allowed the Ryza to hop out of his arms and walk up the bed into Sarah’s lap. Still as statues, the two stared at each other until Sarah reached up and scratched behind the Ryza's ear. Immediately beginning to purr, Ryza curled up on her lap, smiling as she was pampered.

“ _They are so much cuter in person,_ ” Sarah thought as the child form basked in the attention.

Brushing the side of her hand against one of the head spikes, Sarah was surprised to find that it was cool to the touch. Upon further inspection, although they appeared razor sharp, the spikes were more akin to professionally cut gems: hard, strong, and durable. The legs plates however, felt rough; like someone grabbed a stone by the side of the road and carved a specific design.  
  
Shifting down her back, Sarah discovered the Ryza's blue fur, despite its shortness, was as soft and plush as a chinchillas. When the Ryza shifted, the fur appeared to shimmer slightly in the light, as if a coat of gloss covered the body. Moving closer to Sarah, Ryza was able to fit perfectly in her lap without causing any discomfort.

 _"Heh, just like a cat,"_ Sarah thought, allowing herself to enjoy the fleeting moment of peace the two shared. The questions raging in her head abhorred this quiet however, screaming for answers like spoiled children.  
  
" _Well I acted like an idiot when Grant came in,_ " Sarah thought, mentally face palming. “ _Instead of asking questions and controlling my emotions, I blubbered like a child. Though, considering I‘m now accepting a video game as fact, I think I handled it well...yeah right. *Sigh* I still don’t know what to think, but whatever happens, I need to remain positive._ ”

“Miss Sarah?”

“Hmm, yes?” Sarah looked up at the Commander, breaking her train of thought.

“I would like to apologize for causing you distress when I entered the room.”

“No, no, you didn’t do anything wrong Sir!” Sarah replied. “I just didn’t accept what happened as reality until you came in. I never thought anything like this could ever happen to me.”

“Well that is one of the reasons I came today,” Grant replied, his voice taking a more serious tone. “The fact that this did occur is inexcusable. I am sorry for our failure as the NPP to protect you.”

“I really don’t think anything could have been done,” ‘ _Considering this isn’t even my solar system,’_ “But thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now for the other reason I came. I do not believe it is wise to speak today, as it is apparent enough painful memories have resurfaced for you, but I would like to ask you some questions about what happened before my officers found you.”

Sarah tensed slightly. “If it’s ok with you, I’d be more comfortable speaking with you about it tomorrow. I need some time to gather my thoughts and you’re correct, today has been overwhelming.”

“That is fine. I’ll come tomorrow evening and bring the two officers that found you with me. They have been concerned for your well being and would like to meet you.”

“I would have asked for them on my own anyways so I could thank them personally.”

“Excellent. I have to take my leave now as I have a few meetings this evening, but I will have plenty of time tomorrow. If I may have Ryza…” the Commander gestured to the now sleeping form.

“Yeah, I guess she can’t stay. Would it be alright if she was here tomorrow?”

“I see no issue with that. Miss Sarah, Jared, have a good evening.”

As Commander Grant left the room, Dr. Strall turned to Sarah. “Unfortunately I must leave as well. There are a few patients that require my attention and everything here physically is in order. If you need anything at all, please just press the button on the nightstand and a nurse will come to help. I’ll be on call for most of the night.”

“Alright, thank you doctor.”

“Happy to help.”

With the click of the door Sarah sunk into her pillow, running her fingers through her hair.

_“Great, what on Earth am I going to do now? Heh, ‘on Earth’; that phrase isn’t even valid considering I’m on an entirely different planet. Actually, I wonder which one?”_

She shook her head as her thoughts began to wander.

_“Focus, Sarah! What am I supposed to tell them tomorrow? Considering the characters have been spot on so far, I’m pretty sure I have knowledge that I shouldn’t. How is it even possible a video game designer could be so accurate? That alone opens up a whole other set of concerns and questions._

She sighed, gazing at the room’s door.

_“I don’t want to lie to them though. After all, they’re the reason I’m safe, healing, and far away from that monster, Krux. Under any other circumstances this would be the coolest thing to happen to me ever.”_

Sarah winced as she felt a dull ache in her temples. “ _And there’s the expected headache from the crying earlier. I should have realized the moment the Doctor explained about the toxin that this was no car wreck and something was wrong…..I wonder what mom and dad think happened. I left to take out the trash and never came back in. I don’t even know how long I’ve been gone. Krux knocked me out so many times, so I have no frame of reference. I shouldn’t be so calm about this fact, but I’m just too tired to care.”_

Slipping further under the covers, Sarah made herself as comfortable as possible without agitating her wounds.

“ _I have no idea what to expect from tomorrow besides the interview. Hopefully I can remember enough to help them. I bet if I ask nice enough, Nurse Airen will wheel me to a shower; sponge baths are dumb and I would like to give my hair a thorough washing. Like the doc said, I’ve been a good patient. You can do this Sarah; now get some rest.”_

\------------------------------------

Once Dr. Strall exited the patient room, the group began to travel down the hall.

“So how did it go Sir? We never got a chance to go in,” Rallen asked.

“It’s a good thing you didn’t, or we might have had a real problem on our hands,” Dr. Strall retorted. “We’re very lucky your Ryza didn’t escalate the situation.”

“At ease Jared; we didn’t know she would react in that manner, so out of all the possibilities I think it went well,” Grant replied, attempting to diffuse the situation.

“Well? _Well!?_ She almost had an emotional breakdown and that was _well_? Hah! I’d like to see horrible then!”

“Sir, what exactly happened?” Jeena asked worriedly.

“My office is close by. You three talk in there so there is still some semblance of patient privacy,” Dr. Strall grumbled. “I need to go check on a few other patients and don’t have time for this.”

A few turns later and they were in the office. Saying farewell to Grant, Dr. Strall left, leaving the three alone.

“Man what was his problem?” Rallen muttered.

“While he can be standoffish, Dr. Strall is one of the best; I’ve known him for a very long time and would trust him with my life. He was promoted to Head Surgeon due to his intelligence and the fact he cuts no corners. However, it doesn’t help his mood when officers who are put here try to check themselves out.”

“Hey that was one time!” Rallen exclaimed, before realizing his mistake. “Eheheh…ahem.”

Jeena rolled her eyes. “Please continue Sir.”

“Hm. We were originally granted permission to visit our guest because the nurse caring for her deemed her stable enough for visitors. After a quick examination, Dr. Strall agreed. However, unbeknownst to anyone here, she did not believe her injuries were due to the krawl. My entrance changed that. I was unable to ask any questions so we are coming back tomorrow evening.”

“That’s awful. I wouldn’t want to accept that reality either,” Jeena said. “What does this mean for tomorrow then?”

“I said this earlier when we were about to depart for here and I will say it again: these next few days will determine everything. We need information. If we cannot find and keep Krux away, this could be the time the Nanairo system falls. Miss Sarah was almost the first victim; this _cannot_ happen again. She has been through enough, so tomorrow be on your best behavior and treat her with the utmost respect.”

“We understand sir. We won’t let you down,” Rallen and Jeena saluted.

“I know you won’t. It’s time to return to headquarters. Be ready to leave by four o clock tomorrow.”

“Yes Sir!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't you just love it when your conceived understanding of reality is shattered beyond repair? Well Sarah sure doesn't. I think I've traumatized her enough for now, she'll be getting a break for the next few chapters.
> 
> I hope I was as accurate as possible for this chapter (so many medical terms and bodily functions were researched for this chapter you don't even know the half of it). If you go back to previous chapters, you can see the symptoms, now they're just fully explained. And if you cry foul, well, her resilience will be explained in future chapters. Worldbuilding and characterbuilding is in progress, please enjoy.
> 
> See you next chapter :)


	6. Moving Forward

                                                                    

 

 

_“I wish I had something nicer to wear than this hospital gown. I’m know I’m still covered in a thin layer of bandages, but still.”_

When she requested her original clothing this morning, Sarah was told it had to be cut off her body and in some places surgically removed due to the krawl toxin’s effects and her wounds when she came in.

“ _Those were my favorite pair of sweats too…”_

If she asked for anything at all today, it would be a few extra outfits. Dr. Strall had finally allowed her to shower herself, albeit with a nurse nearby, so anything seemed possible at the moment.

A knock sounded at the door, filling Sarah with both excitement and dread. “ _That’s probably the Commander. And so it begins.”_

Taking a deep breath in and exhaling slowly, she faced the door. “You can come in.”

As the door opened, the clatter of claws was her only warning as Ryza leapt on to Sarah’s bed; making a beeline to her lap after rubbing against her legs in acknowledgment.

“Hello to you too Ryza,” Sarah smiled as she scratched behind the child form’s ears.

“Even after I said to wait,” Grant sighed as he walked in. “Good afternoon Miss Sarah; I hope you are doing well.”

“Just Sarah is fine and today has been alright; thank you for asking. I appreciate that you moved the conversation to today.”

“It was no trouble at all. You have been through much and no one can blame you for needing time to recover. As I mentioned yesterday, the two officers who rescued you came with me today. With your permission, I’ll call them in so we can begin.”

“That’s fine with me. The sooner this walk down memory lane is over the better.”

“Then let me introduce NPP Special Officers Rallen and Jeena.”

As the two entered, it was difficult for Sarah to keep a neutral expression. Like Grant, the two were almost identical to their game counterparts, albeit with enough of a difference to garner a second glance.

While not as tall as Grant, Rallen was close, with Jeena a few inches shorter than Rallen, probably 6’2’’ and 5’11’’ respectively. Rallen was wearing the traditional black and white officer uniform which appeared much sturdier in real life. The kevlar used for police bullet proof vests came to mind. Different sized armor pieces were located on the shoulders, hips, and chest along with the thickly plated boots and gloves. Meeting Sarah’s gaze, Rallen’s eyes were as fiery orange as his hair. Two large bangs framed the sides of his face with the rest of his hair pulled behind his ears and jacket collar with a hair tie.

Jeena was wearing a baby blue V-necked shirt and short sleeved gray bolero jacket with gray shorts and black tights to match. Around her waist was a large utility belt with multiple sized compartments attached to it. Besides her armored shoes, the mechanism on her hand, and whatever tools were in her belt, there was no other visible protection. Her light pink hair reached halfway down her back and was mostly held back by a large headband; the stray bangs curling around her blue eyes.

While Rallen’s face expressed curiosity, Jeena’s was one of concern as they took their seats next to Commander Grant.

“I’m glad to see that you’re awake and recovering well,” Jeena said. “Rallen and I were both worried when we brought you here for treatment. The state we found you in wasn’t good at all.”

“Heh, yeah, so I’ve been told.” Sarah paused for a moment. “Now that you’re here, I just want to say thank you. Thank you so very much for saving me. I don’t know how to express that enough. If you hadn’t come... I don’t know what he would have done to me.” Sarah looked away briefly to regain her composure. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get emotional.”

“It was no problem. It’s our job to make sure the krawl never see the light of any system’s sun after all! It was our and the Spectrobes’ pleasure to help,” Rallen said, puffing out his chest slightly.

Jeena rolled her eyes at her partner’s antics and reached into her belt pocket, pulling out a recording device. She pressed a few buttons and nodded to Grant.

“Well Sarah, let’s get started. To help ensure the public’s safety, I need to you answer me as accurately as possible. Do not feel upset if there are events you cannot recall and I will stop if you ask me to. Does that sound alright?”

Sarah exhaled and straightened, meeting his gaze. “Yes Sir.”

“Very good. Now, let’s start at the beginning.” Grant glanced down at the papers in his hand. “How did the encounter begin? Where were you and what were you doing?”

“It was late in the evening and I was home. I had left the house to take some trash outside when the Krawl and then Krux appeared.”

“And which is your home planet? Kollin? Nessa?”

“Earth.”

Grant looked up. “I’m sorry, could you repeat that?”

“My planet, the one I live on, is Earth. Though, considering all that has happened, I doubt I’m currently there.”

“No… You are currently on Kollin, a planet in the Nanairo Star System,” Jeena said slowly. “What is the name of your system?”

“Ours is called the Solar System. You… haven’t heard of it, have you?”

Jeena shook her head. “No, I’m sorry.”

Sarah sighed as she reclined back. “ _While it was pretty obvious, at least I now have a definite confirmation.”_

“Are the Krawl a threat in your system as well?” Rallen asked, almost falling off his seat as he leaned forward.

“What? No. Both Spectrobes and the Krawl are fiction to us; creatures of fantasy. I was more surprised by their existence than the kidnapping if I was totally honest.”

“Only fiction? Surely there must be fossils located on one of your planets, or is Earth the sole planet of your system?” Jeena inquired.

“We do have other planets, nine in total. However, Earth is the only planet that can support life. We’ve sent out plenty of space probes that have proven that fact.” She smirked. “Scientists at home would be going crazy if they knew there were other planets with sustainable life; it’s only been theorized.”

“If that’s true, then you are taking this revelation well,” Jeena said.

“Yeah, keyword _now_ ,” Sarah curtly replied. “Until yesterday, I thought I was in a hospital on Earth with some type of amnesia; head full of fantasy. When it clicked that fantasy was reality, well,” Sarah glanced at the Commander uncomfortably, “You saw what happened Sir.”

Grant nodded. “Even if you aren’t from Nanairo, it does not change the fact that what you went through was inexcusable. Let’s continue. What happened once you were kidnapped?”

Sarah frowned and rubbed the back of her head in frustration. “After you left yesterday and all this morning I’ve been trying to remember as much as I can, but I can only recall bits and pieces. I honestly didn’t want to remember, and my brain obliged.”

Rubbing Ryza’s back absentmindedly, Sarah’s eyes glazed slightly. “The earliest memory after being dragged from home was waking up in a small container of some sort and then being thrown in the snow. After that, the most vivid ones are Krux yelling at me, though I can’t remember everything said. He wanted something, but I have no idea what. Since I didn’t oblige, he thought I was lying. He reacted…violently.”

Sarah shuddered and curled into herself, unconsciously moving her hand to her injured shoulder as she continued. “I have no idea how long I was a prisoner; there was no way to keep time, and I was asleep more than I was conscious. Every time I woke up though, it felt like an eternity...”

Snapping out of her daze, Sarah noticed the three exchanging worried glances.

“Sarah? Is this too much; do you wish to stop?” Grant asked carefully.

Looking over at the Commander, she chuckled embarrassedly.

“Sorry about that. I’m fine, really.”

Grant looked unconvinced but relented. “If you’re sure. Is there anything else you can tell us? Did he ever mention anything to you? It could be plans, names, anything.”

“Well, he kept calling me a Morph, but I have no idea what that means. Does that stand for anything or mean something to you?”

“No I’m afraid not. Rallen? Jeena?”

“No Sir.”

“Nothing comes to mind.”

“Oh. Well, besides that, he talked about what I said earlier: wanting something from me. I’m sorry, that’s all I know.”

“There is no need to apologize, you did nothing wrong.”

Grant shuffled through his papers before continuing. “If you don’t mind, I would like to change topics to your abilities.”

Sarah tilted her head. “My abilities? I’m not sure I understand. Do you mean my amount of schooling or any talents or strengths I have?”

“No, I’m speaking of the skills that you demonstrated while on Hyoga.”

“Your powers are awesome!” Rallen interjected excitedly. “With just one attack, you decimated everything in your path! How did you do that?”

“Wait, wait; slow down a second. Abilities? Attacks? You saved me, not the other way around.”

Rallen and Jeena glanced at each other, equally as confused.

“No,” Jeena explained, “While it’s true we found you as a prisoner and brought you here to Kollin for treatment, you broke free amidst the chaos and helped us, literally changing forms into a Flash property Spectrobe. I’ve never seen anything like it before and was hoping you could shed some light on the subject.”

Sarah stared at her, unsure of how to respond to such an outlandish claim. “Are you being serious? I’m an average human for my planet. The only unique thing about me to date is that I was the unlucky contestant to be chosen for Krux’s twisted torture show.”

“This doesn’t make sense.” Jeena muttered. “I know what we saw, and you wouldn’t lie to us-”

“I have absolutely no reason to,” Sarah interrupted, crossing her arms defensively.

“Then what are we missing?”

“Mmmruff!”

Ryza yawned, extracting herself from Sarah’s lap before rotating onto her legs. Standing on her back paws, Ryza reared back before audibly thumping onto Sarah’s chest, hard enough for her to wince in pain.

“Oooh that smarts Ryza! Why did you just…HRK!”

For an instant, time felt immaterial to Sarah. Her entire body prickled with a pins and needles sensation before feeling as if she had been submerged in an ice cold lake. The frigid feeling swept away her fatigue, bringing with it a new sharpness and clarity to her senses and surroundings.

Along with her heightened perceptions, Sarah’s hair felt heavier and stiff, like someone had used an entire can of hairspray to keep it in place. Her arms, torso, and legs felt stretched taught before the sensation relaxed into a dull ache. With a slight flash of light, time resumed normally and Sarah was left slightly disoriented.

“Ugh, what was that?”

Glancing up, she encountered a variety of expressions ranging from surprise to intrigue.

“Just like before, well minus a few details here and there,” Jeena murmured as Sarah reached for the mirror on her table; slowly angling it to look at herself.

“… _My hair is spiky and silver. Not only is my hair silver, but there are markings on my face, and…are my iris’ red??”_

“You know,” Sarah started, lowering the mirror on to her lap. “I really can only handle a maximum of one life-altering event at a time. Two is too many, and I’m finding it hard to muster the energy to respond properly.” “ _Well, besides screaming internally that my face resembles a Ryza,”_ she thought.

Sarah looked towards Ryza, who, in her opinion, looked too happy for her own good and sighed.

“What did you do to me Ryza?”

“Wait, you’re serious? You really didn’t know?!” Rallen exclaimed.

“Hhhhh, not so loud!” Sarah whimpered, clapping her hands around her ears. _“Aaand my ears have pointed tips. Lovely.”_

“Heh, sorry. But how could you not know about your powers? That’s something pretty big to have absolutely no knowledge about.”

Sarah sighed. “Like I said before, all of this: the Spectrobes, the Krawl; that’s normal life for you, but fiction for my planet. Humans don’t have “powers”, and the animals that live on our planet aren’t sentient like us, nor do they have any kind of elemental control.

Sarah paused, looking at her hands which had begun to shake slightly. “This isn’t normal. And out of everything, I think that’s what scares me the most.”

“Well at least we have a partial answer to why Krux held you hostage,” Jeena said.

“Great, but it raises so many others,” Sarah responded. “How did I get these abilities? Like Rallen questioned, why haven’t they manifested until now? How did Krux even find out that I had them if they never showed? ...Can I be tracked? Does that mean he knows where I am now?”

Sarah shook her head, not allowing that train of thought to continue. “I have so many questions that need answers and nowhere or way to get them.”

“Then we’ll just have to find them.” Sarah looked towards Grant, prompting him to continue.

“While this revelation does complicate things, it does not majorly alter the offer I wish to give you Sarah.”

She titled her head, interested but wary. “An offer Sir? What kind?”

“You were taken from your home by a threat we should have already removed. On top of that, due to the fact your system is not in our database, we can’t send you back to your family. Therefore, I’d like to offer you a home here on Kollin. You would have your own apartment in the NPP officer complex.”

Grant continued. “As for other necessities such as food, clothing, and household items, that will be taken care of as well. Jeena can take you to local stores and I can give you a pass to the mess hall unless you wish to cook at home. The bills for your stay in the hospital and any subsequent therapy will be paid for by the NPP.”

Sarah was at a loss for words. She hadn’t considered the long term effects of ending up stranded on Kollin, and never expected to receive anything. She had hoped that the hospital pay would be covered somehow, but now she also had a place to stay, food, and provisions.

“I…That…This is so generous. I really don’t know what to say except, thank you Sir.”

Grant smiled. “This is the least we can do for you.”

“Even so, it means more than you know. Thank you.”

“There is a second offer I wish to present to you, and I want to stress that if you say no, it will in no way affect anything I said before, so please don’t feel pressured to accept.”

 _“What kind of offer would make him say that?”_ Sarah wondered. “I understand. What is it?”

“No one is truly safe until Krux and the Krawl threat is eliminated. The fact that Krux kept you as a prisoner, something we have never seen him do before and is against the very nature of the krawl, means your abilities are significant in some way.”

Grant motioned towards Rallen and Jeena. “Therefore, I’d like to enlist your help in defending Nanairo and beyond as an officer. Based on what Rallen and Jeena witnessed on Hyoga, your abilities would be invaluable both in combat and in our research on the Spectrobes. While we know nothing now, I’m sure there are answers about your kind hidden in our star system or potentially the ones we are connected to.”

“You would go through an altered basic training and be placed in Spectrobes and Krawl Defense Division. Your main task would be working with Rallen and Jeena in planetary defense and searching for answers. It would come with a salary and dual planetary citizenship if you decide to agree. I don’t need an answer now.”

Sarah bit her lip and gently grabbed her injured shoulder, choosing to look down at Ryza instead of maintaining eye contact with Rallen and Jeena’s hopeful expressions. The offer wasn’t what she expected, but at the same time she wasn’t surprised by it, considering the circumstances. The real question was if she was willing to help, to fight, and accept all the risks and unknowns therein.

She didn’t have to think long on her response.

“This isn’t a decision to be taken lightly, and I understand that. In all honesty, if you hadn’t given me this offer, I would have asked if there was any way I could help. I don’t want this to ever happen to another person. Also, now that I know I have these abilities, I would really like to understand how to control and use them. So, I accept your offer Commander Grant.”

“However, I have a condition, if I could be so bold.” Sarah nervously added.

“What would that be?”

“While I am grateful for the place to stay and would be honored to become a Duel Planetary Citizen of Kollin, I want to go home to my planet and my family. From the way you spoke about it, I know it will be difficult, if not impossible, to find my planet’s system, but I want to at least try. If there’s a chance I can see my family again, I want to take it.”

Grant nodded. “That isn’t an issue. We are already attempting to track Krux and identify the locations he’s been hiding in. While it is true that finding your specific system without a point of reference is…challenging, I give you my word we will try.”

Sarah sagged with relief. “That’s all I ask, thank you. So, when will all of this begin? I’m sure there will be paperwork I’ll need to sign, and while my country has a military force, I never intended on joining. I’ve never really wanted to pick a fight so I’m not skilled in any form of combat or with weapons.”

“You can train with Jeena and I since you’ll be in our division!” Rallen said excitedly. The NPP will get you into fighting shape! And if you want to know about weapons, the one you want is Dave. He’ll be the guy who helps you choose your primary weapon anyways. And I’m sure my Spectrobe partners could help you with your powers!”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves Rallen,” Grant said. “Nothing will officially begin until Sarah has a clean bill of health and has completed any necessary physical therapy. Dr. Strall has an appointment with you once we leave and we will have more information then. I’ll begin the paperwork process today so it can be completed by the time you are discharged.”

“That sounds good to me,” Sarah replied. “I’m looking forward to starting, and to meeting the Spectrobes. We might need to call the doctor in sooner though; I’ve been growing increasingly dizzy…”

Glancing up in alarm, Ryza head-butted Sarah’s chest, causing the frigid sensation once more before a wave of fatigue washed over her body. Swaying slightly, Sarah leaned backwards onto her pillows and began to massage her temples.

“Woah, ok, the second time is less fun; not that the first was anything to write home about.”

“Wuff.”

“Shush, you don’t get to talk, you haven’t been nice. Did you have to head-butt the same area you hit before?”

Snorting, Ryza returned to Sarah’s lap and promptly curled up, causing Rallen to chuckle.

“Well, with that, I believe this concludes the interview. I appreciate you taking time to speak with us.” Grant said.

“I’m glad I could help. And honestly, I should be thanking you. You’ve given me so much. I’ll do my best to help.”

Grant nodded as he stood, Rallen and Jeena following suit. “I will send you a Comm Device within the day to allow for easy contact. It is an important tool for officers to have, so I trust you’ll take care of it. I’ll let Strall know we’re finished. Have a good day Miss Sarah.”

“I will. You have a good day as well Sir,” she replied.

“Goodbye, It was nice to meet you, and I look forward to working together,” Jeena waved.

“Same!” Rallen added. “C’mon Ryza!”

With a soft click, the room door closed, leaving Sarah to mull over her thoughts. The conversation had gone well, she had a purpose to work towards, and let’s not forget, apparently she had superpowers.

_“Actually, I should have asked them to elaborate on what they saw. I have no frame of reference for the extent of what I can do besides they are related to Flash property Spectrobes in some way. I looked like Ryza so possibly water manipulation?”_

Picking up the mirror, Sarah looked at her normal face before closing her eyes and focusing on how it felt to transform. After a few moments of concentration, she opened her eyes to the same visage as before.

“Of course it’s never that easy,” she sighed.

Switching topics, she reflected on the offers Grant gave her. She had gone from having nothing in a (mostly) foreign planet to complete security on all fronts: food, shelter, clothing, a paying job, and protection from Krux.

_“And not just any job either, a NPP officer; a job that requires me to have citizenship for this star system. There’s no way they can run background checks on me…and I’m sure he knows that. That’s a lot of trust Grant is placing on me; I’m not sure if I should be honored or scared. Probably both. One thing is certain though, I won’t betray that trust. Heh, Krux will regret ever finding me when we cross paths again.”_

_“But all that won’t start until I get out of this hospital bed. I really am fine, this much bed rest can’t be good for me; not to mention it’s boring. I hope Dr. Strall comes soon.”_

As if summoned, the door was knocked on and then opened by the man himself, much to Sarah’s amusement.

“Good afternoon Sarah. I heard from Grant that everything went well which leaves me to be the bearer of less enjoyable news.”

Sarah’s smile quickly fell. “Is there something wrong with my recovery?”

“Oh no not at all; the most recent blood tests have shown you are doing well. Since you are foreign to our planets, it means you are also foreign to our disease resistances. Adding in the fact you are applying for citizenship just means that these are also required by law.”

Dr. Strall opened the container he brought with him to reveal a half dozen needles. “Besides a few routine tests, I need to administer a variety of vaccinations. It would be a shame if Viratrus caused you to leave us prematurely.”

“ _The what now? Why do I have the feeling reading medical literature is in my future?”_ Sarah averted her eyes before she became more nervous then she already was. “Well it’s only six, right?”

“Today, yes. But over the next month you’ll need five more.”

“…Oh goodie.”

Sarah’s deadpan expression gleaned a chuckle from the doctor. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up now Doc. Just make sure they don’t hurt too badly.”

_“At least tomorrow will be a bit more fun right? I feel fine so physical therapy should go well.”_

\-----------------------------------------

 _“I was wrong, I was so very wrong,”_ Sarah wheezed to herself as she tried not to collapse into the chair provided for her.

The first few exercises of the day had been simple arm exercises: testing grip strength, lifting different weighted dumbbells, and select muscle-focused tests. While they weren’t inherently strenuous, the fact that she had been bedridden for two weeks and the therapist’s need to see the extent to which she could successfully move meant by the end of the first 30 minutes she was already fatigued.

While her shoulder scar tightened with certain movements, it never impeded anything much to Sarah’s relief. Once those tests were complete, the therapist Dr. Cerrnan declared that nothing seemed amiss; all she needed to do was rebuild her strength.

Her legs and chest were other matters entirely. The lacerations on her torso had not fully healed, as shown by the remaining stitches, so she was limited when it came to testing strength and overall recovery. The few tests they could perform gave the same results as her arms, so Dr. Cerrnan wasn’t too concerned.

The krawl toxins had only caused temporary paralysis of her lower leg muscles, so walking around was no issue. Prolonged workouts however, brought about pain that reminded Sarah of the shin splints she had as a high school basketball player, with prolonged aching.

As the end of the hour came, she was ready to be done.

“You did very well today Sarah,” Dr. Cerrnan commented. “Another few weeks of exercise and you’ll be back to your old self in no time. I’m sure Dr. Strall would agree with me that we need to keep a special eye on your legs though.”

“Indeed, we do,” Strall responded. “You are the only civilian who has survived direct Krawl contact so we’ll have to take everything we find out as it comes. Hopefully the aching will decrease and eventually disappear as your muscles regain their strength.”

“At the moment, I’d really appreciate if my everything would stop aching. I thought you were supposed to take it easy on me.”

Dr. Cerrnan chuckled. “I would never ask you to do more than I thought you were capable of my dear. While today may have seemed difficult, I do know of something that will brighten your mood.”

“Oh, and what would that be?” Sarah asked as Dr. Strall pushed her into the adjoining room.

“The final part of today’s session – manual therapy.”

“Please tell me that means someone is going to give me a massage.”

“That is correct.”

For the first time that hour, Sarah smiled.

“Awesome.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The big conversation is over (much to Sarah's relief). Questions were answered, more arose, some mild PTSD was revealed (probably should take care of that), and now we can move forward.
> 
> Can you see my biochemistry major rearing it's head? While I love pure fantasy, having a bit of realism in a story makes it much more enjoyable for me. And as you can see, I tried to make everything accurate. Get vaccinated people. That's all I'll say.
> 
> The therapy section was actually fun to write since I had to go through some myself when I injured some leg muscles (among other issues) in high school. While I never collapsed, they worked me hard. I hated the electrical muscular stimulation option at the end of every therapy session so I always went with the secondary option: having someone spread this special gel over your muscles and deeply massage them. It was glorious.
> 
> #Pluto is a planet
> 
> See you next chapter :)


	7. Preparations

                                                        

 

“Four more reps, Sarah! I know you can do it, don’t quit now,” Dr. Cerrnan encouraged as sweat beaded down her brow. “Three, twooo, come on last one!”

Sarah grunted as her shaking limbs lifted the weights a final time, causing her therapist to grin.

“Excellent work warrior, that concludes today’s session. Enjoy your shower, you earned it.”

Sighing in relief, Sarah placed the bar on the ground before high-fiving him on the way into the locker room. Two weeks ago she dreaded the morning workouts, but now those two hours were her favorite part of the day. The constant movement and variety of exercises helped to reduce her overarching aches and left her much more alert than when she was bedridden. It was also encouraging to see her natural figure slowly return as the days went by.

Returning to her room meant two hours of free time before lunch, another highlight of each day. She shared it with Jeena as often as her busy schedule allowed it. With a new star system had come new information and plenty of resources to dig through. Once Sarah expressed interest, Jeena was more than willing to provide books and answers to her many questions; whether they were on planet ecology, medical advancements, popular musical genres, or the mechanics surrounding cruisers.

Necessary knowledge aside, it was fun for both parties to just relax and talk about any subject that came to mind. While there were obvious differences between the planets, the amount of similarities interested them both. With each story shared though, it became increasingly difficult for Sarah not to feel homesick.

Following every lunch was the promise of two types of paperwork delivered from the Commander's desk, per her request. The first were required documents she had to complete in order to be deemed a citizen of Kollin. The second was all the information given to beginner officers so she could be ready to jump into her job.

While she imagined there would be a decent amount to complete, the piles of paperwork, both physical and digital delivered to her room were beginning to border on ridiculous. It made sense though – since there was no way to receive any of her actual information from Earth, she had to create an identity for herself here.

The Nanairo Planetary Patrol Force was much larger and complex than Sarah initially thought. While they were known mainly for their officers, there were a variety of jobs one could have. Researchers and scientists of multiple fields, forensics, mechanical engineering, weapons development, archaeology/historical recovery, and communications were just some of the options if you wanted to work for the NPP.

Out of all the jobs though, the position of officer was the most common to apply for and difficult to obtain due to the diverse skills required and the fact they had so much authoritative power and access to tools. You could train to become a Singular Planetary Patroller, Single or Multi-Planetary Defender, or a Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary Special Forces Officer.

Due to the events of the past few years, there was also the newly created Spectrobes and Krawl Defense Division, but the only trained officers for that were Rallen and Jeena. The other officers in the division worked more with research and better understanding Nanairo’s returned allies and enemies. This was where Sarah would be placed, and she wasn’t sure if she was looking forward to or dreading her first day, especially since she still had no idea how to activate her abilities.

No amount of focusing, research, or meditation was able to replicate what happened with Ryza during the interview and it frustrated her to no end. What fun were superpowers if you couldn’t access them more than two times? After a week of disappointing results, the following week Sarah chose to spend her evenings on the roof gardens. Dinner was more fun amongst flowers anyways.

\-----------------------------------

The following day, upon returning to her room from the morning’s therapy session, Sarah was surprised to see Jeena waiting outside her door with a large manila folder.

“Hey Jeena, you’re a bit early for lunch. Are you just delivering papers? I thought I finally finished them all.”

Jeena turned and smiled. “Hello to you as well Sarah. Actually, today is my day off, and I asked if I could bring this special paperwork to you.”

Curiosity piqued, Sarah attempted to look inside the folder to no avail. “Well don’t keep me in suspense, what is it?”

Jeena’s smile turned mischievous. “You’ll find out in a bit, once we reach our destination.”

“Our destination?” Sarah’s eyes widened. “Is today the day? Am I finally being discharged?”

“Not today but tomorrow, yes.” She threw her arms up in the air. “Surprise! Now let’s go; there’s a lot we have to do today, and we’ll be covering a lot of ground.”

Sarah gave herself a once-over in the mirror before the two began to walk down the hallway to the elevator.

“The outfit you’re wearing looks nice on you.” Jeena commented.

“Thanks, you have a good eye for size. I appreciate you bringing me something to wear besides the hospital gowns, even if it’s just NPP shirts and sweats.”

“Some of the stops today are clothing stores I think have a great selection, so you’ll finally get to choose your own outfits. Have you grown anymore?”

“Nope. They measured me a couple days ago and I’m still 6’ 1’’. We’re pretty sure it was a one time thing.”

“Do you think it has something to do with your abilities?” Jeena asked.

“No clue, but due to lack of any other evidence, that’s what we’re going with,” Sarah shrugged.

“Height aside, you are getting new clothes today, but first we need to stop by my apartment; I actually forgot something,” Jeena blushed.

“You, someone who rivals me in love of organization, forgetting? Perish the thought!” Sarah teased.

Jeena huffed in response, but the corners of her mouth turned upwards, betraying her true feelings.

Exiting the front doors Sarah looked around, trying to absorb as much of the scenery as possible.

“I know you explained how the city functioned and I had a window and the garden to look out of, but now that I’m on ground level, I still can’t believe my eyes. The buildings spiral up hundreds of floors and there are multiple paths connecting them in the air. It’s just so surreal!”

Sarah pointed to a pair of buildings in the distance as they continued down the road. “The majority of people aren’t even traversing on the ground! They just use the building’s landing pads and walkways to reach their destination.”

“You mean skypaths, not walkways,” Jeena corrected. “And while it’s true most shops are on the higher levels, Kollin’s ground is used for more than a sturdy foundation for our buildings; there are plenty of beautiful natural parks, shops to peruse, and activities for people to enjoy. Not all the buildings have connecting skypaths after all.”

“It’s just so different from home, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. And this is just one of Kollin’s cities. I’m sure the other planets each have their own charms as well.”

“If by charms, you mean vastly different biomes, then yes, you’ll enjoy traveling to them if we’re required to.”

Turning right, Jeena pointed straight ahead. “Do you see that really large building surrounded by smaller ones?”

“I really don’t think you could miss it; it’s been visible the entire time we left the hospital.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty large, but it has to be. That, is NPP headquarters.”

Again, Sarah had to gape at the marvels of architecture Kollin displayed. The building had a massive base that must have spanned multiple blocks both ways and narrowed slightly as it rose high into the sky, easily rivaling the surrounding buildings in height. The top of the structure jutted out and was triangular in shape, with cruisers steadily coming and going from it.

“You’ll be spending a lot of time there,” Jeena continued. “But we aren’t going today. If you look to the right, the cluster of buildings is the apartment complex.”

Entering the building labeled F, the two were greeted politely by the doorman before riding the elevator up to the 28th floor. The hallways reminded Sarah of a nice hotel as they stopped in front of Room 9.

Accessing the storage in her glove, Jeena lifted a key card to the lock. With a satisfied chirp, the door’s display flashed green and released the lock.

“Here we are! What do you think?” Jeena asked as she walked across the plastic-covered floor to the kitchen counter.

“It’s a little barren; do you not use this space much?” Sarah replied as she glanced around. Besides a table and four chairs in what appeared to be the dining room, there was nothing in the apartment.

“Oh did I say that I forgot something at my apartment?” Jeena replied in an overly exaggerated manner. “Silly me, I meant to say your apartment!”

Sarah paused in her exploration before turning to Jeena excitedly. “Really? My place?”

“Well you have to live somewhere now that you’re leaving the hospital. C’mon, let me show you around!”

Walking past the entryway, there was a main living room that directly connected to a dining space and kitchen. The kitchen was fully furnished and had a counter with two bar stools. Walking down a short hallway that contained three closets led to a bathroom and bedroom with a walk-in closet. A bed frame with a Twin XL sized mattress was already placed in the room.

Sarah couldn’t stop smiling as they returned to the kitchen. “Jeena, I love it! There is so much space for a one bedroom apartment.”

“I’m glad you like it! Now to make it yours, all you have to do is sign the lease,” Jeena said as she handed over the folder from earlier. “Usually the renewal time period is every year and rent is taken from your paycheck, but for the first term you won’t have to worry about any of that as promised by the Commander.”

Skimming through the document, Sarah did a double take at the personal information.

“Wait a moment; this says I have dual citizenship for Earth and Kollin. They already finished all the paperwork?”

“Only the ones necessary to allow you to start working with the NPP; Grant made sure to expedite those. I’m sure you could ask if you have any questions when we go to headquarters tomorrow.”

“I don’t see anything that I have questions on right now, but I’ll keep that in mind,” Sarah murmured, still flipping through the pages. “It was nice of them to mark all the important sections; it makes it very straightforward.”

“Yeah, they’re good about that. I don’t think anyone has had any major problems with housing for as long as I’ve been part of the NPP.”

Satisfied with the agreement, Sarah took the pen from Jeena and initialed where required. “Alright, is there anything else?”

Jeena grinned. “Now I want to introduce you to Kollin properly! We have all day so let’s make the most of it! We need to get you clothes, not to mention some more furniture to make this place yours. If we have time, I’d love to take you to the park up in the skypaths near the museum. Let’s go; we’re burning daylight!”

\---------------------------------------

“I still can’t believe my furniture fit inside that computer storage along with the clothes and groceries. Next time we talk technology, you’re going to have to explain how you guys figured out how to store physical objects digitally.”

“It doesn’t technically become ‘digital’ code. Though, I suppose that’s easier to understand and visualize compared to all the complex details I had to learn.”

Laying a towel and some cushions on the roof of the hospital, Sarah and Jeena sat down to enjoy the sunset with dessert from the previously visited restaurant.

“Man Jeena you were right, they make the best food. We’ll have to go back there again, especially if this pie is a staple.”

“You don’t have to ask me twice,” Jeena laughed. “I took you there because it is my favorite place to go for a reasonably priced meal.”

“Well it was perfect.”

The two lapsed into a comfortable silence, watching the transition into night and enjoying their treats before Sarah spoke up again.

“Today really has been a lot of fun. I know I said it in the hospital, but I really appreciate what you guys are doing for me. I hope I can repay you all somehow.”

Jeena nodded. “While the circumstances were less than ideal, it’s been fun talking and getting to know you over the past two weeks. Rallen’s a great partner, but there are only so many things that grab his interest.”

Sarah smiled. “I’ve appreciated it as well. It can get boring in that hospital room …and I can’t exactly phone a friend.”

Jeena placed her hand on Sarah’s shoulder, gaining her full attention. “Hey, there’s no need for depressing thoughts. The research team hasn’t made any headway yet, but I’m sure they’ll find your star system soon. Once they do, you can take me to all of your favorite places on Earth!”

Sarah smiled slightly. “Yeah that sounds like fun. I’m sure you’d love my friends from college. Sorry for that bit of negativity.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

The silence was broken as the roof door squeaked open, revealing Nurse Airen.

“Sarah? Dr. Strall is looking for you.”

“I should probably head home then,” Jeena said as she stood up. “There’s a lot to do tomorrow and I’d like to get a good night’s rest.”

“Before you go, what was floor I needed to meet you at?” Sarah asked.

“Just ask the receptionist to direct you to the uniform depot. That’s where we’ll be.”

“Alright, thanks. Goodnight Jeena.”

“Goodnight Sarah.”

\----------------------------------------

Due to the importance of the day, Sarah slept very lightly, rising as soon as sunlight streaked through her window. Pulling on an outfit she purchased yesterday, a pink checkered flannel with dark wash jeans and sneakers, Sarah left to grab breakfast from the cafeteria before letting the head nurse know she was leaving.

Full of nervous energy, the walk to headquarters ended more quickly than she desired, and she stood in front of the double doors before she realized it. Steeling herself, Sarah walked into the main entryway and was quickly able to locate the front desk.

“Excuse me, but I am supposed to meet someone from… my team in the uniform depot. Could you tell me where that is?”

“Name?”

“Oh, um my name is Sarah.”

“Alright, you’re on the list. Go down the left hallway and take the third elevator on the right. You’ll want to type in 57 when it prompts you,” the officer replied as he pointed in said direction.

“Thank you sir; have a good day.”

 _“These don’t even look like elevators. They’re just see-through pods stuck to the wall,”_ Sarah thought as she approached the machines.

Entering the required number, the elevator whirred to life and shot her skyward. Within a few moments she reached her destination.

Walking in, the room reminded Sarah of a clothing alteration store. Multiple uniform pieces hung on their designated mobile racks which were all positioned behind a large desk where a woman and Jeena currently stood.

Noticing her, Jeena turned and waved. “Morning Sarah! You didn’t have any trouble finding your way here did you?”

“Nah, the front desk was helpful. So, this is where you get your uniform?”

“That’s correct. There are a variety of designs you can choose from, but I won’t take Alissa’s job.”

“You’re fine Jeena,” Alissa chuckled. “I’m sure we both can help her pick out the one she wants. Anyways, welcome to the NPP uniform depot! I’m the head officer of this division and it’s my job to make sure everything fits perfectly and will protect you! Did you come in today with an idea of what you would like?”

Sarah rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. “No, I didn’t. This is one of the things I didn’t do prior research on.”

“No worries,” Alissa reassured her. “It never takes too long to narrow down what a person likes and dislikes, especially since we only have four choices. It is a uniform after all.”

Turning to her computer Alissa pressed a few keys, causing the racks behind her to rotate until rows of sleek, black clothing appeared.

“So!” Alissa clapped, “There are four main parts to all of our uniforms: the elastic under armor which is behind me now, the outfit worn over it, choice of protective jacket, and finally the accessories such as padding, plates, gauntlets, shoes, etcetera.”

“When it comes to material, each piece is designed to be sturdy while remaining breathable and comfortable. The only exceptions to that rule are the armored plates. We want to ensure you are protected after all.”

Alissa pointed to the screen attached to the table. “You can search through the selection with this computer. Just press whatever you might want and it will be saved to your list.”

Scrolling through, Sarah furrowed her brow in thought. “ _Well, like she said, there aren’t many options. It seems the variety will come with the color choice, but even that is quite limited to blues, blacks, and silvers. It makes sense; you would want employees to be easily identifiable.”_

_“I always loved Rallen’s uniform and it looks like his model is the standard choice for patrol officers. It would give me plenty of protection, with its visible armor and full length gauntlets. But, I’m not sure if it’s me…”_

Sarah turned to Jeena. “What made you choose the uniform you’re wearing now? It’s one of the more casual in appearance: a short sleeved jacket with a V-neck and shorts with long under armor. I would think you would want something sturdier with what you do.”

“Looks can be deceiving Sarah; this outfit actually provides a lot of protection. Of course there are options that have enhanced protection, but since Rallen is one usually fighting with the Spectrobes while I provide intel, I don’t have as much a need for the thicker armor pieces. Also, I prefer less material that may hinder me when I’m researching or working on the ship. That’s why I chose my specific gauntlet model. In the end, it’s up to what you are most comfortable in and what your job entails.”

“Most comfortable huh…” Sarah muttered to herself, turning back to the list. After a moment of pondering she looked to Alissa. “I think I know what I want.”

“Alrighty then. Submit the images of what you want and then I’ll take your measurements so I can grab the correct sizes for you to try. You’ll stand in the machine over there behind the curtain; take off all your clothes besides your undergarments once inside.”

With a chirp the choices appeared on Alissa’s screen. “Ooh, I love it dearie,” she gushed as Sarah entered the fitting room. “It will complement your stature nicely.”

“I appreciate the vote of confidence. I’m in the pod; how long will the scan take?”

“One moment …and done!” Let me find your clothes!”

Flitting back and forth, Alissa grabbed all the necessary articles as the racks whirred by at an almost comically fast pace.

“And here you are!”

“Thank you.” _“Now, let’s see how it all fits.”_

Giving herself a once over in the mirror, Sarah walked out. “Well, what do you think?”

“What did I say?” Alissa crooned. “It’s absolutely perfect.”

“I have to agree with Alissa,” Jeena said. “It looks great on you.”

From her options, Sarah chose a light blue short-sleeved shirt with black pants. Deciding on navy blue for the color, the jacket was a mix of a blazer and hoodless bomber style with multiple pockets. Sewn inside the jacket at crucial intervals was padded plating to provide the necessary protection.

Instead of the typical thickly plated white boots and gauntlets, Sarah’s choices were more modest. In place of a gauntlet, her right arm bore a four inch long, half-inch thick silver cuff that could have multiple technical units installed into it, including her Comm. Her left hand and wrist were covered with the white glove-based gauntlet designed for weaponry installation and defense purposes. Created for heavy wear and tear, the boots had thick soles and went partially up her calves with light plating, resembling motorcycle boots in size.

Sarah took a moment to spin around. “It certainly is comfortable. The under armor isn’t too tight, the clothing fits well, and the jacket isn’t as heavy as I thought it would be with the inner armor.”

“I see you chose the longer style of my jacket and to alter some of the armor choices,” Jeena commented.

“Yeah, that model seemed to be the happy medium for the less combat-oriented jackets. And while the standard armor models are nice, I agree with your sentiment for more mobility. Not to mention I could see myself in this outfit. I like it.”

“Then that’s your uniform,” Jeena smiled. “Next is the training facility. Thank you for your help Alissa.”

“Not a problem dear. Sarah, I’ll have duplicates of your uniform made within the week. I’ll contact you via your Comm device when they’re ready.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it.”

Exiting the room, the duo walked down the hall to a larger elevator. After punching in a few numbers, they quickly arrived at the training facility.

“Now this division actually takes up the entire floor due to the testing ranges,” Jeena began. “Today is just weapon selection and learning how to use whatever you choose. Due to recent events and the creation of the Spectrobes and Krawl Defense Division, Special Forces are no longer the sole group permitted to use Special Ops equipment, we can as well.”

Jeena paused in her explanation, looking around the room. “Now if I could find Rallen and Dave…”

“Over here lass!”

Behind a row of computers, they could see both a normal hand and metal claw waving.

“I was wondering when you would get here Jeena; Rallen is testing out the new and improved training simulations for me. Come on over, I’ll be with you in a moment!”

Walking around the set-up, Sarah observed curiously as Dave typed away at three computers simultaneously. While noticeably shorter than her and sporting a thick pair of red tinted goggles, his most interesting feature was the contraption on his back. Two clawed appendages were attached to a metal pack that allowed him impressive mobility with the push of his controller.

“And, there we go!” Dave turned to look at Sarah. “So this is the new recruit to your team eh? Well, welcome! I’m your go-to guy for all your weapon design and improvement needs! I hear you’re looking to obtain some to call your own today yes?”

“Yes sir, but I’m not sure which yet.” Sarah replied.

“Well let’s get you started with what every patrol officer receives: a blaster to call your own! Now let me see…”

With his claws, Dave swiftly grabbed Sarah’s arm, pulling the hand wearing the gauntlet close to his face, electing a startled yelp from her.

“So you went with this model? It’s a good one; small, but reliable and sturdy. Let me grab the blaster version that goes with it. So, do you prefer power or accuracy more?”

Rubbing her arm where the claw had grabbed it, Sarah paused. “Well, both would be nice but I suppose accuracy. Power would get the job done quickly, but I wouldn’t want to hurt someone due to missing the shot.”

“A responsible answer,” Dave said as he rummaged through his storage containers. “Most patrol officers lean towards power. Rallen certainly enjoys the latest and greatest I can come up with.”

“Yes, well Rallen can be extremely reckless when it comes to fighting the krawl,” Jeena huffed.

“Me, reckless?” a voice scoffed. “You’re talking about Mr. Technique here!”

“For some things perhaps,” Jeena rolled her eyes as Rallen walked out of the training room. “How was training?”

“It was a blast! You should try this sword model; it can really pack a punch.”

Rallen turned to Sarah. “Hey, glad to see you on your feet. You’re going to love what Dave set up for you. Have you picked out your weapon yet?”

“We’re working on that my boy,” Dave said as he walked back over to the group. “Sarah, if you could hand me your gauntlet for a moment? Thank you.”

“It’s nice to see you as well Rallen. Maybe you can help me choose. Is the sword your preferred weapon?” Sarah asked.

“Oh yeah. I don’t like to stand on the sidelines while my Spectrobes are battling. The sword allows me fight alongside them while allowing for maneuverability.”

“Well, while the swords are nice, I prefer the more advanced blasters,” Jeena said. “I can hit whatever’s coming before it reaches me.”

“Why don’t we start from the top?” Dave interjected. “Come with me to my work desk, I’ve laid the basic NPP models from each category for you to try. But first, your improved gauntlet.”

Sliding the glove back on, Sarah flexed her hand as she examined it. “It feels good. How do I activate the blaster?”

“By applying pressure on the inner side of the glove, you will release the cover joints allowing the blaster to slide out. Once open, you can shoot and switch the types of fire with the grip that releases under your hand along with the blaster. It can also be wielded with two hands and voice commands can be installed if you’d like.”

“ _Easy enough_ ,” Sarah thought as she practiced releasing and recalling as they walked to the table.

“Now lass, your choices. Since you are a part of the Spectrobes division, I will be speaking about these weapons as if you were encountering a krawl. While there are basic NPP models for each that the Special Forces use, the more potent ones are only authorized for krawl defense or if direct permission is given by the Commander.”

“There are five categories: Blaster, Glove, Sword, Axe, and Lance. You want to be comfortable with whatever you choose as this equipment may just save your life one day.”

Circling around the desk, Dave pointed to each weapon as he spoke on it. “While the arm loaded blaster is a powerful tool, it pales in comparison to the larger blasters in almost every area. Covering the entirety of your forearm when activated, they have long range, high precision, and options between type, number, and strength of energy shots. Perfect for any situation: an enemy far in the distance, multiple enemies you need to hit at once, or if you just need a big boom.”

“The gloves are akin to close-range blasters with the added ability of stunning your opponent. The strength of the hit depends on the type of glove though be warned, there can be a bit of recoil if you activate the higher level gloves’ capabilities.”

“Swords are probably the most versatile of the options due to the many different forms and abilities that can be instilled into the blade. Lightweight, heavy weight, simple, plasma, double-edged, single slash, consecutive hits; it all depends on your preferred fighting style.”

“The axes are the heaviest weapons, but pack quite the punch if you land a successful hit as enemy armor usually cannot protect against its power. They work best against one opponent at a time due to the space you need to wield it. It’s also handy to have if you need to take care of debris.”

“Lances are the most difficult to master out of the five but allow for fast, consecutive hits. Only the sharp end is used to attack while the body of the lance can be used as a strong defense. You need a bit of a running start for the most damage, similar to the axe’s initial swing.”

“So, which would you like to try first lass?” Dave asked enthusiastically.

“ _Oh goodness I have no clue.”_ Sarah thought as she looked at the five _. “I always was a head-on attacker when I played video games, but that was a risk-free environment, not real life...”_

“Well,” Sarah started, “I doubt I have the endurance to use the axe, and the lance doesn’t really appeal to me, though its defense sounds nice. I’ve never been a brawler and would appreciate some distance… so I suppose either the blaster or sword? They seem to have the most options.”

“Looks like you may have competition soon Rallen!” Dave chuckled.

“I highly doubt that,” Sarah quickly responded, “But that doesn’t mean I will slack in my training.”

“The simulation I just ran was for sword training so let’s see-” Rallen was cut off by his Comm device as it suddenly began to chime. “Jeena, it’s the Commander.”

Accepting the call, a holographic image of Grant came into view as the group gathered around the device.

“Rallen, and I see Jeena and Sarah are there as well.”

“Yes Sir, we are all currently in the training facility picking out Sarah’s weapon,” Rallen replied.

“That will have to wait. I just finished a call with Professor Wright who is currently on Genshi. While mapping out some of the uncharted lava fields in the Southern Hemisphere, he stumbled upon some undiscovered ruins.”

“How fascinating! But how does this involve us Sir?” Jeena inquired.

“While he reported that most of the structures had collapsed due to age, there was one wall intact that contained a mural. Since he wasn’t expecting to do any excavation, he did not have his tools with him, but he did take a picture of it. I’ll display it now.”

Grant’s face disappeared and was replaced with the image. While slightly fuzzy, they could see the long mural was very detailed. On each end were both humans and Spectrobes of different kinds standing together. However, all were focused on the center of the mural. In the middle was a lone Spikan and human, each with a hand outstretched to the other. On their palms was a green gem, with Aurora leaves extending out from it and around the duo.

“Wait a second, Jeena look! The human has a Spikan tail!” Rallen exclaimed.

Doing a double take, Sarah realized that Rallen was correct, however that appeared to be the only modification to the human.

“That is why I called you. I would like you three to go to the ruins and see what else you can find. Wright sent the coordinates of the site before heading to his lab for tools. He should return by the time you arrive. Your cruiser is waiting for you on the docking bay. Report back as soon as you are finished.”

“We’re already on our way Sir.” Rallen saluted as the call ended. “C’mon guys, let’s go.”

“We’ll message you when we can make it back to headquarters Dave,” Jeena said as they began to leave. “No need to wait for us.”

“Don’t worry, I have plenty to busy myself with. Good luck on your task you three,” Dave said, waving goodbye with his claw.

Walking down the hall Rallen turned to Sarah. “So, you’ve never had the chance to ride in a NPP cruiser awake have you?”

“No Rallen, there will be _no_ stunts on the way to Genshi!” Jeena stressed.

“Aww you’re no fun Jeena! It won’t be much, just some high speed flying once we’re out of Kollin’s atmosphere. Besides, we need to get there fast right? So let’s go; Iku ze!”

“Really Rallen?” Sarah sighed as he began to sprint towards the bay door.

“My thoughts exactly. Welcome to the team,” Jeena laughed as the two began to run lest they be left behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Six, seven, and eight believe it or not started idea-wise as one full chapter. There was so much to say though that I had to split it up. This chapter actually required a lot of research. I had to find references for Kollin cities, an image of headquarters, some good shots for apartments, and how uniforms flipping work. Seriously, there are multiple kinds shown in the game and episodes online. I eventually took Jeena's outfit and made it into something I would wear. And the second ds game. Why would you go and invent walkways up in the sky? How can I describe that well huh??
> 
> Also in the realm of world building, enjoy the info dump that is this chapter. I tried to explain a lot of the process while at the same time making it enjoyable. I'm creating so many OCs at this point for that purpose, I'll need to draw a roster just so you can keep up. lol oh well.
> 
> Whenever I play Spectrobes, I always chose the sword as my main; only switching when strategy demanded. What is your preferred weapon? I'm curious. Ryga Sword for life yo.
> 
> Oh, and if anyone is trying to keep track, it has been five weeks and four days since this entire adventure started. Time is important don't you know?
> 
> See you next chapter! :)


	8. Missions and Mayhem

                                                          

 

“Genshi’s on the radar!  Preparing to orbit in three, two…”

Thrusters roaring to a halt, Rallen turned to Sarah, grinning widely. “And that is how it’s done!  In fact, I think I just beat my personal best time.”

“Rallen, you stopped less than 1000 spacemicrons from Genshi’s outer atmosphere!   Saying this was a close call would be an understatement.”

“Aw come on Jeena, I saw you grinning when I hit top speed halfway between here and Daichi! Besides, Sarah still hasn’t stopped smiling.”

“Guilty as charged,” Sarah laughed. “That was such a rush! Way better than any roller coaster I’ve ever been on!”

“If it can even compare to riding with me, I have to know what that is.”

“Rallen’s humility at its finest,” Jeena murmured. “Alright you two, time to focus. The coordinates Wright sent us are for a large opening in the jungles east of the ruins. It’s the closest he could get us since there are lava fields surrounding the rest of the area.”

“Nothing like a nice stroll through the jungle before tackling a mission,” Rallen remarked.

“Well it’s better than risking the hull’s integrity, no matter how sturdy it is. The last thing we need is lava landing on the ship.” Jeena turned back to her screen. “I’ve locked the coordinates so we’re ready to descend.”

Sarah glanced outside at the planet below. “Leaving Kollin’s atmosphere wasn’t too jarring, is re-entry the same?”

“Well, it isn’t too bad, just a sensation that you’ll have to get used to. And at the risk of inflating his ego even further, Rallen is called one of the NPP’s greatest pilots for a reason. His entries are as smooth as they get.”

“Genshi is one of the easier planets to land on due to its atmosphere so don’t sweat it Sarah. Just relax and enjoy the view while you can. Next stop, the surface!”

Angling the main controls, Rallen positioned the cruiser before activating the main thrusters, sending them towards the planet at high speeds. In space the planet appeared barren, the surface mostly covered in dark rock with red streams, lakes, and dots to signify lava and volcanoes.  Passing through the clouds however, revealed miles of interspersed jungle, the plant life flourishing in the volcanic soil.

 _“Take away all the rocks and it kind of reminds me of the Amazon,”_ Sarah thought. _“I wouldn’t be surprised if the plant variety here rivaled it as well.”_

Once safely in the planet’s stratosphere, it only took a few minutes to locate and land at Wright’s coordinates. Exiting the cruiser, the trio was immediately hit with a wave of humidity.

“Nothing quite like that Genshi mugginess,” Jeena grimaced as she looked around the clearing.

“True, but the Corona and Aurora Spectrobes seem to enjoy it.” Rallen activated his prizmod, summoning Komainu with a flash as they entered the jungle. “Might as well grab some minerals while we’re walking.”

Chirping happily, the child form ran ahead of the group, having already detected a small deposit.

“Well that was fast,” Sarah commented as she watched Komainu attack the ground.

“He’s one of my most enthusiastic mineral hunters,” Rallen replied. “Probably because I always let him keep a few. He’s a good child form when he’s not running around causing trouble.”

“Like master like Spectrobe,” Jeena laughed.

“Aww thanks Jeena! ….Hey wait a minute!”

\------------------------------------------

Reaching the ruins didn’t take much time. While dense jungle at first, the environment slowly transformed into rocky terrain the farther they went.

“Hey I think those are columns on the top of the hill!” Sarah said excitedly. “Where did Wright say he would be?”

“I’ll call him on his device.” Opening her comm, the call rang three times before Wright’s face appeared on the screen.

“Jeena! Have you guys made it to Genshi?”

“Yes Professor, we already landed and are just outside of the ruins. Where should we meet you?”

“Well, I got held up at the lab by one of my assistants when I returned for supplies so I’m not actually there. I can make it in a few minutes.” A crash was heard through the speakers as Wright cringed. “I take that back. You guys go ahead and explore the ruins; I’ll try to be there as soon as I can. The mural is in the center of the ruins, you can’t miss it.”

“Alright, thank you Professor. See you soon.” Ending the call as they reached the hilltop, Jeena turned to Sarah and Rallen. “Since we don’t have Wright to guide us, let’s check the mural first before looking around for any other details. I don’t want to miss anything.”

Sarah pointed down the hill. “It would be hard to miss anything with this view.”

Standing before the crumbling columns, the entirety of the ruins could be seen. Remnants of pillars, walls, and bits of road were scattered down the hill and in the valley, stopping only where the grass and stone met volcanic rock. Moss and other plant life attached themselves to any crevice within reach, providing the dilapidated structures with a natural camouflage.

“It’s surprising how close the ruins are to the lava fields,” Jeena thought aloud. “I wonder why whoever built it decided to live here?”

“Reverence for the volcanoes?” Sarah responded. “Something Spectrobe related? Or maybe one of them erupted recently and the lava flow came extremely close?”

“All plausible.” Jeena took a moment to scan the area. “It gets more crowded the closer you approach the center. I think that wall is the mural.”

“Umm Jeena? Rallen’s already almost halfway down the hill.”

“What? Careful Rallen! The path doesn’t seem to be stable.”

“We‘re being careful!” Rallen shouted back right as he and Komaniu simultaneously tripped, unearthing a few stones in the process.

Sighing, Jeena started down the hill, leaving Sarah alone between the two columns. While she had been fueled by excitement traveling through the jungle, a sense of unease had slowly begun to swirl inside her at the sight of the ruins.  Glancing around, she shook her head before running after Jeena.

Once they ensured Rallen was unharmed, the four continued down the hill and through the main section of the ruins. As aged and derelict as they were, the buildings were beautiful, each covered in varieties of design.  However unlike normal, the architecture failed to enthrall Sarah, too distracted by her senses.

In that regard, she noticed she was not alone. Before, Komainu had been taking every opportunity to explore the surrounding area as they walked. Now, he was subdued, glancing in multiple directions and remaining right next to Rallen’s side.

“What’s with you Komainu? Don’t you want to explore a bit? I’m sure there are some tasty minerals in some of the houses.”

“Mrrr...”

“There’s nothing to be scared of bud. Here,” Rallen paused to allow Komainu to enter the prizmod. “Don’t worry, we can explore together in a bit.”

 _“I disagree; both Komainu and I can sense something is off, how can you not?”_ Sarah thought. _“I don’t think I have a place to say anything, but I really feel like we are in danger.”_

“Woah, check out the size of that thing!” Rallen exclaimed, pulling Sarah from her thoughts.

The mural was much larger than it appeared in the photo, most likely nine feet high and eleven or twelve feet long by Sarah’s best estimations. The gem in the center was the size of Rallen’s head, reflecting light in such a way for a green hue to appear over the images.

“There are still flecks of color on some of the clothing,” Jeena said as she began scanning. “And look at the detail of these stone carvings. This is surprisingly well-preserved for the location and age, especially if it was when Spectrobes lived with humans on Genshi.”

Sarah peered around the wall before quickly returning to Rallen’s side. “You’d think there would be a description plate nearby, or at the very least an artist’s mark.”

“I wish. No, unfortunately this is just a depiction,” Jeena replied. “I would guess that due to its placement it shows an important cultural event or possibly some kind of yearly celebration. Perhaps there are books or tablets in one of the houses that can help us out.”

“Well we can start looking for stuff like that while you finish up your scan,” Rallen said. “Which side of the courtyard do you want to search Sarah?”

“...”

“Hey, Kollin to Sarah! Left or right?”

“Hmm?” Sarah shook her head. “No, I don’t think we should split up at the moment.”

“What? You’ve gotten more and more fidgety the longer we’ve been here; is everything alright?”

Sarah huffed, crossing her arms in frustration. “I’m not sure? These ruins are filling me with a sense of dread, but I can’t place why.”

“Well I suppose they do look a little creepy, but I think you’re just experiencing first mission nerves.” Rallen clapped Sarah on the back before walking towards the houses. “Don’t worry, those go away quickly. I’ll take this side.”

“ _While I admit I want my first mission to go perfectly, this is completely different. I feel uneasy…and watched; like we are in immediate danger...”_ Sarah’s head whipped up in realization. “ _You Idiot! This feeling, it’s just like the night Krux took me from Earth.”_

“Rallen, Jeena, forget exploring, we need to get to the cruiser NOW. I’m not sure how much time we have left.”

Rallen turned around, slightly irritated. “What are you talking about Sarah? Time for what?”

With a groan, the columns scattered around the town center began to shift, slowly rising out of the ground, each crack revealing more of the krawl that had been laying in wait.

Sarah’s eyes shrank as she clutched her chest and began shaking uncontrollably. “Too late.”

“PETROVA!  Jeena, Sarah, get back to the cruiser and prepare for takeoff! Zazanero, Zozane! We’re under attack; Iku ze!”

With a roar, the three charged as Jeena grabbed Sarah’s arm and began pulling her back the way they came. “Focus Sarah! We have to go; NOW!”

Sarah gave no resistance as she was pulled to Jeena’s side, her legs and chest screaming in remembered pain with every step. Her perceptions were muted, as past nightmares and current terror fused in her mind, turning the buildings into a maze and the effort to flee harder than it should have been.

“Jump!”

_THUD_

“Sarah are you alright?” Jeena asked as she pulled her off the tree root.

“I’m fine, I’m fine; let’s keep moving,” Sarah replied, using the pain to mentally ground herself.

“That might be a problem.”

“You’re kidding me,” Sarah whimpered as she watched multiple Petrova slide down the hillside.

“Ok, new plan,” Jeena said as she activated her Cosmo Blaster. “We shoot each one right before we approach them. That way they’re too stunned to attack us and, if we’re lucky, they’ll lose their balance and fall. Sound good?”

Opening her mouth to respond, Sarah’s breath hitched as she saw the tree she tripped over bend its branch backwards.

“MOVE!”

Shoving Jeena across the path, Sarah barely had time to fall backwards herself before the wood slammed on the ground, ricocheting splintered remains in all directions.

Hissing angrily at the failure, black sludge oozed out of every orifice, surrounding the rotting wood until it was more krawl than nature.

“Don’t move!” Jeena shouted as she let loose a barrage of red plasma bullets into the Swatwig’s lower half.

“No longer an option Jeena! Look at the entrance!” Sarah yelled back as the first of the Petrova entered the path, separating them further.

“Then we’re going to have to use the ruins to our advantage. Find somewhere to hide or try to make it back to Rallen! I’ll call him now!”

With that, Jeena fired one more barrage before running into the leftmost ruins, drawing the attention of the Petrova, but not the Swatwig, who approached too fast for Sarah’s liking.

“ _Of course the one with potential projectiles would choose me,_ ” she screamed internally while leaping over a crumbled foundation to try and gain some ground.  _“Come on, there are barely any places to hide!”_

Twisting around the closest column, Sarah surveyed the area with disappointment while catching her breath. “ _There are too many krawl on the main path; there’s no way I can make it to the mural from here. Where to now; that tree abomination will be here any second!”_

Looking straight ahead were more foundations while the right revealed a wall with a few openings. _“That’ll have to work; time’s up,”_ Sarah thought, the Swatwig letting out another screech as she narrowly avoided its grasp.

Releasing the cover joints, the small gauntlet blaster hummed in anticipation as Sarah reached the wall. “ _Here goes, please slow it down...”_ Aiming her shot at its bulbous legs, Sarah pulled the grip, firing multiple plasma blasts.

The shots luckily rang true, all hitting the same leg. However, instead of reeling back in pain, the krawl only hissed in annoyance before continuing.

“Are you serious? That did nothing!” Sarah hollered in frustration as she ran to the opposite side and began climbing, reaching the top of the wall as the Swatwig rounded the corner. Shrieking, the krawl raised its wooden appendages and slammed them into the side.

Sarah yelped, grabbing the wall to regain her balance as the cracks widened and entire wall shook. “ _Rallen, Jeena, where are you?_ ” she whimpered as the Swatwig struck the wall a second time, bringing it and her crashing to the ground.

Sarah groaned and immediately began to cough as the surrounding dust filled her lungs. “ _Ooh_ , e _verything hurts. Please, not again. I’m not strong enough.”_

“Rarrraahh!”

A blast of heat rushed over the wreckage, seeping through the cracks and forcing her to close her eyes. The Swatwig squealed in pain before falling silent.

“Nice shot boy! Sarah? Shout if you can hear me!”

“ _Oh thank goodness.”_ “Here Rallen!” Sarah responded before dissolving into coughs again.

“Over there! Alright, carefully.”

The few bricks covering her face were lifted off, revealing a very concerned snout.

“Heh, hi there Zozane; how’s it hanging?”

“Rrrrr.”

“I literally have no clue what you're saying boy. Where’s Rallen?”

“Look down.” Lifting her head revealed the Spectrobe master digging out her legs with Jeena looking on worriedly. “Give me a second and I’ll get you standing.”

“Sounds good. I’d get rid of the Petrova first though.”

“Petrova?” Rallen jerked his head around as the four krawl continued closer. “You guys are really beginning to get on my nerves. Zozane, let’s use your new special move.” 

Triggering the prizmod, a large scope appeared, extending slightly past the arm.  Zozane ran towards Rallen and slid into position under it; curling into a tight coil and igniting in flames.  Holding his left arm up with his right, Rallen aimed directly for the group’s center and pushed the front of the prizmod forward, creating a quick burst of power that released Zozane.  Scorching a path on the ground as he spun, Zozane crashed into the group and then circled back around, following his previous path to supply the fatal blow to the flame-engulfed krawl.

“All right, that was perfect!” Rallen said excitedly. 

“Celebrate later Rallen; I’m sure Sarah doesn’t appreciate her current lodgings.” 

“Coming Jeena. Zozane, join up with Zazanero to finish the perimeter check.”

Rolling her eyes, Jeena resumed removing the rubble. “You know Sarah, when I said to hide, this isn’t exactly what I meant.”

“Haha. If I wasn’t so done with today, I might of responded to that little quip.” Slowly sitting up, Sarah grimaced as she moved her leg. “I hope that isn’t my blood on the brick. Yeowch! Watch it Rallen!”

“Sorry! But yeah, it’s yours.”

“Wonderful. Help me up so we can look at it.”

Gently extracting Sarah from the rubble, the trio moved to a column so she could lean against it and inspect herself.

“It’s not as deep as I thought. I hope it won’t require stitches.”

“Any other spots?” Jeena asked as she wrapped the wound.

“Besides a multitude of bruises that will appear tomorrow, I think I’m ok. I can stand and nothing feels broken. So, who do you think will succeed in killing me first, Alissa or Dr. Strall?”

Rallen guffawed while Jeena slapped Sarah’s foot in response.

“Why would you need to tell Strall? I’m sure there’s a doctor at the lab here who can patch you up.”

“Well besides the fact my blood is slightly off color and the cut is right over the previous krawl injury Rallen, _I have not been officially discharged yet._ I still have to go back tomorrow for my final checkup and physical which means he’ll see everything.”

The clearing was silent as her statement sunk in.

“Yeah,” Sarah frowned, “exactly.”

“Well at least Alissa won’t mind. We’ve gone through a few uniforms over the past two years. Though this should be easily patched; just make sure to ask nicely,” Jeena winked as she snapped the wrap clip in place. “Alright, good for travel!”

“Thanks Jeena. Where to now?”

“Well thanks to Rallen and the Spectrobes, the krawl are no longer an issue. I’d like for us to go back to the ruins’ center one last time before heading to the lab.”

“You’re not going to like what you see Jeena,” Rallen said nervously. “During the fight, the krawl targeted us and the mural. It’s been smashed to bits.”

“You’re joking.”

“No, I’m sorry. We were swarmed too quickly to prevent the destruction.”

“...Well, we can at least bring the pieces back to the lab. I’ll contact Wright so he can bring a transport bus. Let’s go.”

\-----------------------------------------

“You three certainly had quite the adventure today!” Wright said as the group enjoyed dinner in the dining hall later that evening.

“Yeah, if you could even call it that. All it resulted in was destroyed architecture, injuries, and no answers to our questions,” Jeena huffed, taking another bite of her sandwich.

“I’d rather have broken relics than dead comrades. We were planning to go in as a unit with you, but the generator prevented that by malfunctioning and frying the circuit boards. Today could have ended a lot worse.”

Rallen shuddered. “Let’s not think about that. Everyone is safe and you can all go to the area with no worries tomorrow now that the krawl warning systems have been placed around the complex.”

“Thanks again for letting us spend the night Professor and for the spare uniform while mine is washing,” Sarah said.

“Not a problem. I’m glad the Commander agreed to let you stay after sending the report. I’d rather you all be here a little longer just in case more krawl are still skulking around.”

“I still can’t believe how many were in that area, in plain sight no less,” Jeena said. “You’re lucky they didn’t attack you when you first appeared Professor.”

“If they were even there when he was. Krawl are not stationary creatures, unless Krux had a hand in this. Speaking of, how did you know Sarah?”

Sarah paused mid-bite. “Know what?”

“That there were krawl present.” Rallen placed his fork down before continuing. “You tried to get us to leave early, with an increasing urgency.”

“Oh.” Sarah frowned, not wanting to recall the memory. “The entire time we were in the ruins, the environment felt off, like we weren’t alone. I didn’t figure it out until the last second, but it was just like the night Krux took me.”

The table was silent as the information was processed. Rallen was the first to respond. “Komainu. Oh man, how did I not notice that?”

“I didn’t think anything was off either Rallen,” Jeena replied. “But that’s another similarity you have with the Spectrobes Sarah. A passive ability perhaps?”

“Maybe, but I would appreciate some active ones showing up. I certainly could have used them in the fight this afternoon.”

“Don’t stress too much Sarah,” the Professor interjected. “I’m sure when it’s time, the abilities will reveal themselves. With all Spectrobes research, that seems to be a common theme.”

“Thanks for the encouragement.” Grabbing her tray, she stood up. “If you all don’t mind, I think I’m going to retire early.”

“Of course.” Professor Wright stood up as well. “Have a good evening. The bunks are directly past the storage rooms we were working in earlier. Towels and toiletries will be in packs in the closet.”

“Thank you sir, see you guys when you head to bed.”

“Night!”

“See you later Sarah.”

Exiting the cafeteria, Sarah delayed walking to the room, instead choosing to sit at one of the window tables and enjoy the jungle scenery for a while. While she wouldn’t tell them, the fact she had been so utterly useless today bothered her. She had been more a liability then any sort of teammate, freezing up the moment the krawl surfaced and having to be rescued while Jeena came out completely unscathed.

“ _I shouldn’t get so worked up about this, they have way more experience than I do, and I haven’t begun training. But still, I should have been able to handle at least the one krawl that attacked me.”_

With a little time before curfew, Sarah decided to visit relic storage again, easily entering thanks to the key card Professor Wright provided the trio.  The room was quiet save for one lab tech performing some type of test on an outer section of the mural.

Waving hello, Sarah approached the table holding the pieces, eyes roaming over the now fractured stone.

“ _Jeena was right, it really is a shame this beautiful mural was destroyed, even the gemstone was shattered._ _At least it’s here now, where they can rebuild and examine it in peace._ _”_

Moving to the central fragments, Sarah admired the detail. Whatever event was depicted, both human and Spectrobe were obviously pleased with the results; their expressions exuding confidence.

“ _T_ _he human.”_ She crossed her arms in thought. “ _I doubt t_ _he cosmetic alterations_ _are_ _artistic license._ _But what is it then?_ _Maybe it’s to show the bond between the two? ..._ _Ugh no, they wouldn’t make a mural of that.”_

Rubbing her face in frustration, Sarah paused upon touching her cheeks, mind returning to the hospital interview with the Commander. Perhaps...

Grabbing her Comm, she quickly dialed Rallen’s number, almost slamming into the door on her way out.

“Hey Sarah, we’re in the room; where are you?”

“Coming out of storage, but that isn’t important right now. How soon can I meet with your Spectrobes at headquarters?”

“Ummm, I guess we can switch the schedule and go to their rooms before choosing your weapon tomorrow.”

Jeena’s head appeared next to Rallen. “Why do you want to go there first?”

“I think I’ve been viewing my powers in the wrong light. I have a hunch thanks to the mural but I can’t confirm it right now.”

“And you think the Spectrobes can help?”

“Hopefully. I’m almost back to the room, we can fix the timetable when I get there.”

“Alright, over and out.”

_“I hope it’s as simple as I think it is. I don’t know what else to do if I’m wrong.”_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ACTION!ACTION!ACTION! And baby's first mission, yay! Well that went well....ahem.
> 
> Finally a complete fight scene; how I have been dreading it since I've never done something this involved. I think it turned out ok. You sure showed them Sarah, at least the physical therapy helped. Ah we'll make a proper warrior out of her yet.
> 
> Also we begin to see some of her innate powers manifesting. I took the idea from child forms "peace out" of any area that had krawl vortexes in the second game. There's a lot she'll need to learn and now she can since she finally figured out why two weeks of attempts in the hospital never worked.
> 
> Hey, if you wanna see a comic idea that got scrapped and then reworked in this chapter, let me know in the comments.


End file.
